Discovery of Rare 'Hypernuclei' Shakes Up Physics at The Large Hadron Collider
Physicists at the Large Hadron Collider have detected over 100 rare hypernuclei, atomic cores containing an unusual flavor of quark, in proton collisions. These hypernuclei, such as hypertriton, are of interest not only for their own sake but also in understanding astrophysical phenomena like neutron stars. By studying the decay products of hypertritons, researchers were able to identify the formation of helium and antihelium nuclei, providing insights into the creation and annihilation of antihelium in space. This discovery also offers a new tool for studying the properties of hypertritons and the quarks that hold baryons together.