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Pioneering Precision: Scientists Record Electrically Neutral Beauty Meson Lifetime

New High-Precision Measurement of Bᴼ Meson Lifetime by ATLAS Collaboration

Researchers from the ATLAS collaboration at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) have unveiled a new high-precision measurement of the electrically neutral beauty (Bᴼ) meson's lifetime, a hadron made up of a bottom antiquark and a down quark.

Understanding Beauty Mesons and Their Significance

Beauty (B) mesons consist of two qarks, including a bottom quark. For decades, their study has allowed physicists to probe rare, well-predicted phenomena, offering insights into weak force-mediated interactions and the dynamics of heavy-quark bound states. Accurate determination of the Bᴼ meson lifetime, the interval before its decay, remains crucial in this research domain.

ATLAS Collaboration's Latest Study on Bᴼ Meson Decay

The ATLAS collaboration's latest study on the Bᴼ meson focuses on its decay into an excited neutral kaon (K ͯ ᴼ) and a J/ψ meson. The J/ψ meson subsequently decays into two muons, while the k K ͯ ᴼ meson is analyzed through its decay into a charged pion and a charged kaon. This analysis leverages a substantial data set of 140 inverse femtobarns collected from proton-proton collisions during LHC Run 2 (2015-2018).

Measurement of Bᴼ Meson Lifetime

The ATLAS team reported a measurement of the Bᴼ meson lifetime at 1.5053 picoseconds (1 ps = 10⁻¹² seconds), with statistical and systematic uncertainties of 0.0012 ps and 0.0035 ps, respectively. This is the most precise determination to date, marking a significant enhancement over previous results, including prior ATLAS findings.

Overcoming Experimental Challenges

To achieve these precise measurements, researchers had to surmount various experimental challenges, such as systematic uncertainty minimization, advanced modeling, and refined detector alignment.

Decay Width Measurement and Its Implications

Beyond measuring the Bᴼ meson lifetime, the ATLAS team also determined its decay width, a fundamental property of unstable with finite lifetime. According to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, shorter lifetime correspond to broader decay widths. The Bᴼ meson's decay width was measured as 0.664 inverse picoseconds (ps⁻¹), with a total uncertainty of 0.004 ps⁻¹.

Comparison with Bsᴼ Meson Decay Width

The researchers subsequently compared their result with an earlier measurement of the decay width of the Bsᴼ meson, which consists of a bottom quark and a strange quark. The ratio of the decay widths was found to be consistent with unity, indicating similar values for both measurements. These findings align with the predictions of the heavy-quark model and provide valuable data for refining these predictions.

Impact on Our Understanding of Weak-Force-Mediated Decays

The latest ATLAS precision measurements significantly deepen our understanding of weak-force-mediated decays within the Standard Model and offer crucial data for advancing future theoretical research.

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Unveiling the Mystery: New Insights into Mass Distribution in Hadrons

Introduction to Mass in Subatomic Particles

Examining the Energy and Momentum of Quarks

Scientists determine the mass of subatomic particles made of quarks by examining their energy and momentum in four-dimensional spacetime.

The Trace Anomaly and Its Role

The trace anomaly, an essential metric, ties to the energy/momentum scale dependence observed in high-energy physics.

The Importance of the Trace Anomaly in Quark Binding

How the Trace Anomaly Affects Quark Binding

Scientists posit that the trace anomaly plays an essential role in maintaining the binding of quarks within subatomic particles.

Study Insights: Calculating the Trace Anomaly

A study published in Physical Review D presented calculations of the trace anomaly for nucleons, including protons and neutrons, as well as for pions, composed of one quark and one antiquark.

The result indicate that in pions, the mass distribution closely resembles the charge distribution observed in neutrons, whereas in nucleons, it parallels the charge distribution of protons.

Scientific Goals of the Electron-ion Collider (EIC)

Uncovering the Origin of Nucleon Mass

One of the primary scientific objectives of the Electron-ion Collider (EIC) is to uncover the origin of nucleon mass.

Mapping the Mass Distribution of Quarks and Gluons

Researchers also aim to map the mass distribution of quarks and gluons within hadrons, subatomic particles like protons and neutrons, bound by the strong nuclear force.

New Methods for Calculating Mass Distribution

First-Principle Methods for Mass Distribution

The new calculations show that mass distribution can be derived numerically using first-principle methods based on fundamental physical principles.

Supporting Nuclear Physics Data Interpretation

This technique will also support scientists in interpreting nuclear physics experimental data.

Future Experiments at the Electron-Ion Collider

Investigating Nucleon Mass with Electron-Proton Scattering

Future experiments at the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory aim to investigate the origins of nucleon mass. These experiments will utilize electron-proton scattering to generate heavy states that probe the proton's internal structure, focusing on gluon distributions.

Analyzing Scattering Data to Understand Mass Distribution

Scientists analyze scattering data to determine how quarks and gluons contribute to the proton's mass distribution, a method comparable to using X-ray diffraction to uncover DNA's double-helix structure.

Insights and Future Directions

Aligning with the Standard Model

These calculations align with the Standard Model and shape the design of upcoming experiments.

The Significance of the Pion's Structure

The results provide valuable insights into the mass distribution within particles such as nucleons and pions. They emphasize the pion's significance in connecting two Standard Model characteristics: the presence of an absolute scale and the asymmetry between left- and right- handed elements.

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Fluids at Light Speed: How New Research Extends Einstein's Theory to Real Liquids

Introduction: Special Relativity and Its Surprising Concepts

The theory of special relativity presents numerous surprising concepts, with length contraction and time dilation being among the most well-known. When an object moves at a substantial fraction of the speed of light relative to an observer, its length as perceived in the travel direction will appear compressed compared to its stationary frame.

The Lorentz Factor: Understanding Length Contraction

What is the Lorentz Factor?

• Specifically, the object's observed length will be reduced by a factor equivalent to the reciprocal of the Lorentz Factor.
• This factor depends solely on the relative velocity between the object and the observer as well as the speed of light.
• As the Lorentz factor is always one or greater it results in the "length contraction" effect.

Exploring Relativistic Effects Beyond Time and Length

Could Other Properties Experience Relativistic Effects?

• While time dilation and length contraction are well-known relativistic effects recognized even before Einstein's groundbreaking 1905 publication on special relativity they prompt curiosity as to whether other fundamental physical properties might exhibit additional relativistic effects.

The Challenge of Relativistic Fluid Viscosity

The Missing Link in Relativistic Hydrodynamics

• For example, although there has been significant progress in relativistic hydrodynamics, a theory of fluid viscosity that seamlessly aligns with classical gas limits has yet to be achieved.
• This shortfall indicates that current relativistic viscosity models still lack completeness.

A New Theory for Fluid Viscosity at Light Speed

Introducing the Microscopic Relativistic Theory

A Breakthrough in Fluid Viscosity

• In a recent article published in Physical Review E, I developed a comprehensive microscopic theory for fluid viscosity.
• This theory is rooted in the newly proposed relativistic Langevin equation, derived from a relativistic particle-bath Lagrangian.

The Role of Nonaffine Particle Displacement

• Incorporates a microscopic nonaffine approach to particle displacement under flow.
• This framework captures the microscopic dynamics of particles (atoms or ions) as they interact and collide within an applied flow field.

While particles tend to follow the flow field, their interactions with other particles cause deviations from this path. These "nonaffine" motions play a significant role in dissipating momentum within the moving fluid.

Viscosity and the Lorentz Factor: A New Understanding

The Relationship Between Viscosity and Proper Momentum

How Does Relativity Affect Fluid Viscosity?

• According to special relativity, the "proper momentum"—the momentum relevant for an object's motion relative to an observer—is the particle's ordinary momentum multiplied by the Lorentz factor.
• This factor is always greater than 1 and becomes exceptionally large as the object nears the speed of light.

Proportionality of Viscosity and Lorentz Factor

• The new theory I've derived reveals that the viscosity of a fluid, which correlates to the loss of proper momentum in a fluid moving near light speed is proportional to the fluid's ordinary viscosity at lower speeds, scaled by the Lorentz factor.

Testing the New Theory in Low-Speed Regimes

Validating the Theory with Classical Gas Viscosity

Testing the Non-Relativistic Limit

• I was pleasantly surprised to find that when testing my microscopic relativistic theory in the non-relativistic regime of low speed, it could accurately reproduce the viscosity of classical gases as predicted by kinetic theory and validated by numerous aerodynamic experiments.
• Specifically, the new formula successfully mirrored the known dependencies of viscosity on temperature, particle mass, size, and Boltzmann's constant, as observed in classical gases like air flowing around an aircraft wing.

Implications for High-Energy Fluids

Viscosity at Extreme Speeds: High-Energy Fluids and Relativistic Plasmas

Predictions for High-Energy Fluids

• The theory predicts that high-energy fluids, such as quark-gluon plasma and relativistic plasmas, moving at extreme speeds exhibit a cubic dependence on temperature, consistent with experimental data.
• This result gives rise to a new fundamental law of physics that integrates the fundamental constants of nature.

Fluid Thickening: A Novel Relativistic Effect

Unveiling a Previously Overlooked Effect

Introducing Fluid Thickening

• In an intriguing realization, I found that the new theory could potentially expose a previously ignored effect within Einstein's relativity.
• Similar to length contraction and time dilation, we could conceptualize 'fluid thickening' as a novel relativistic effect.

Potential Impact on Astrophysics and High-Energy Physics

Significance for Understanding Relativistic Plasmas

• This effect has been largely overlooked yet it could play a crucial role in our understanding of relativistic plasmas in fields like astrophysics and high-energy physics.
• Especially in relation to quark-gluon plasma created in high-energy nuclear collisions.

Conclusion: A New Chapter in Relativistic Fluid Dynamics

This new theory not only extends Einstein's theory of relativity to real fluids but also uncovers new relativistic effects that may reshape our understanding of high-energy physics and fluid dynamics in extreme environments. The discovery of 'fluid thickening' opens doors to further exploration in fields such as astrophysics and quark-gluon plasma research.

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First Coherent Representation of Atomic Nucleus: Uniting Quarks and Gluons in Nuclear Physics

Introduction to the Atomic Nucleus

The atomic nucleus consists of protons and neutrons, whose existence arises from the interaction of quarks bound together by gluons. One might assume, then, that recreating all the properties of atomic nuclei observed in nuclear experiments using only quarks and gluons would be straightforward. Yet, it is only recently that physicists, including those at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, have achieved this.

Historical Context

Discovery of Protons and Neutrons

Nearly a century has passed since the discovery of the key components of atomic nuclei: Protons and Neutrons. At first, these particles were believed to be indivisible. However, in the 1960s, it was proposed that at sufficiently high energies, protons and neutrons would expose their internal structure--quarks bound together by gluons.

Confirmation of Quarks

Shortly thereafter, the existence of quarks was experimentally confirmed. It is therefore surprising that, despite the many decades that have passed, quark-gluon models have been unable to replicate the results of nuclear experiments at low energies, where only protons and neutrons are visible in atomic nuclei.

Recent Breakthrough

Overcoming the Impasse

This enduring impasse has only recently been overcome, as detailed in a paper published in Physical Review Letters. The principal authors are researchers from the international nCTEQ collaboration on quark-gluon distributions, including members from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN) in Krakow.

Unifying Distinct Frameworks

Up to now, atomic nuclei have been described in two separate frameworks:

• One involving protons and neutrons observable to low energies.
• Another at high energies, focusing on quarks and gluons.

In our study, we succeeded in unifying these previously distinct realms, explains Dr. Aleksander Kusina, one of the three IFJ PAN theorists involved in the research.

Methodology

Observing Atomic Nuclei

Humans observe their surroundings through their eyes, which serve as innate detectors, capturing photons scattered from the atoms and molecules in the objects around them. In much the same way, physicists gain insights into atomic nuclei by colliding them with smaller particles and carefully examining the collision results.

The Role of Charged Elementary Particles

For practical purposes, physicists do not use electrically neutral photons but rather charged elementary particles, typically electrons. Experimental results demonstrate that, at low energies, atomic nuclei behave as though they consist of nucleons (protons and neutrons), while at high energies, partons (quarks and gluons) within the nuclei become "visible."

The outcomes of colliding atomic nuclei with electrons have been reasonably well modeled by assuming nucleons alone for low-energy collisions and partons for high-energy ones. However, a unified description combining these two models has yet to be achieved.

Research Findings

High-Energy Collision Data Analyzing

In their research, physicists from IFJ PAN analyzed high-energy collision data, including that obtained from the LHC accelerator at CERN in Geneva. Their primary aim was to explore the partonic structure of atomic nuclei at high energies, described by parton distribution functions (PDFs).

Understanding Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs)

Parton distribution functions (PDFs) are employed to illustrate the distribution of quarks and gluons within partons, neutrons, and the atomic nucleus as a whole. Utilizing these PDF functions, researchers can experimentally ascertain measurable parameters, such as the likelihood of a particular particle being produced during collisions between electrons or protons and the nucleus.

Theoretical Innovations

Extension of Parton Distribution Functions

The theoretical innovation presented in this paper lies in the adept extension of parton distribution functions, drawing inspiration from nuclear models that describe low-energy collisions. In these models, partons and neutrons are treated as forming strongly interacting pairs of nucleons, such as proton-neutron, proton-proton, and neutron-neutron combinations.

Results of the Study

This innovative approach enabled the researchers to ascertain parton distribution functions for the 18 atomic nuclei examined, as well as the distributions of partons in correlated nucleon pairs and the quantities of these correlated pairs.

The results validated the well-established observation from low-energy experiments that proton-neutron pairs constitute the majority of correlated pairs, especially notable in heavy nuclei like gold and lead.

Conclusion

Advancements in Theoretical Modeling

The method proposed in this paper enhances the description of experimental data, outperforming conventional techniques for assessing parton distributions in atomic nuclei.

"We improved our model to better simulate the pairing of certain nucleons, as we identified this effect's relevance at the parton level. This advancement resulted in a conceptual simplification of the theoretical description, allowing for more precise future studies of parton distributions in individual atomic nuclei," explains Dr. Kusina.

Bridging High and Low-Energy Characteristics

The alignment between theoretical predictions and experimental data indicates that, for the first time, the parton model, alongside high-energy data, has successfully replicated the behavior of atomic nuclei, previously understood only through nucleonic descriptions and low-energy collision data. The outcomes of this research provide fresh insights into the atomic nucleus's structure, bridging its high- and low-energy characteristics.

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