Scientists discover that protons partner with neutrons more often than with other protons
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 - 11:42
in Physics & Chemistry
Fast-moving protons are much more likely to pair up with fast-moving neutrons than with other protons in the nuclei of atoms, according to a recent experiment performed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The experiment confirms previous theoretical research led by Mark Strikman, a professor of physics at Penn State. Strikman's theory predicts that fast-moving protons have a nearly 100-percent tendency to form pairs with other fast-moving protons or neutrons, and that the majority of these pairings are between protons and neutrons. Strikman also suggested the experimental strategy that the researchers at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility used to make their discovery.