Large Hadron Collider detects ‘rare hypernucleus’

A rare type of particle appeared An example of routine proton collisions performed at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)Powerful particle accelerator located in Geneva, Switzerland. According to physicists at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), “more than 100 rare and unstable hypernuclei” were recorded between 2016 and 2018.

This element, which is similar to the traditional atomic nucleus It is considered rare because it contains a distinctive “taste” of a quark in one of its nuclear particles. In particle physics, flavor is the same as the type of an elementary particle. There are six variants of the quark: up (up), down (down), charm (magic), strange (strange), top (top), and bottom (bottom).

What stands out about hypernuclei is that, unlike the baryons that make up atomic nuclei and antinuclei, these rare particles, in addition to the usual protons and neutrons, so-called hyperons. They’re kind of weird baryons in that they have weird quarks, but none of them have either lower or higher attractiveness. This is a form of matter that can only exist in the core of a neutron star.

What is the significance of hypernuclei?

The importance of hypernuclei lies in the astrophysical context. because scientists believe hyperons can form inside neutron starsThese are the collapsed cores of massive stars that exploded in a supernova. The resulting nuclei are so dense that their physics is difficult to capture and understand.

However, it’s a good place to find hypertriton (a combination of a hyperon and a tritium nucleus used in nuclear fusion) as they decay very quickly. It is a particle collider. That’s why LHC experts used a strategy: Finding neither hyperthritone nor anti-hyperthritone, they began searching for decay products..

When a rare hypertriton (or anti-hypertriton) occurs, it flies 40 centimeters in 240 picoseconds and decays into a proton and a positively charged quark-antiquark pair called a pion. This pion flies out of the nucleus, but the trapped antiproton converts the antihypertriton to antihelium. Similarly, In hypertriton, it is the hyperon whose nucleus decays into ordinary helium (a proton and a negatively charged pion)..

Astrophysical implications of new discoveries

Monitoring the degradation of 61 hypertritoneum and 46 anti-hypertritoneum from detected pions and helium/antihelium nuclei, Researchers will now be able to assess how antihelium is created and destroyed in space. This could be useful in clarifying the mystery of the 2018 detection of this antiparticle in space.

Also, the researchers say that identifying helium could shed light on how quarks are held together in baryons.

Do you have any question? Tell us about our social networks and take the opportunity to share the article with your friends who love physics.