Uncovering the Mystery of Proton Mass and Size through Gluon Experimentation.
Scientists at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have conducted an experiment shedding light on the internal structure of protons, revealing more about how matter is put together at the smallest scale. The experiment involved measuring the movements of tiny fundamental particles called gluons that hold protons together. The researchers discovered that the radius of the proton's mass varied from the radius covering the distribution of its electrical charge, often used as a proxy for a proton's size. The greater radius of electrical charge means the mass of the proton is concentrated, suggesting some of the gluons may extend beyond the mass-bearing quarks, possibly confining them.