ZC ( 3900 ) PARTICLE | QUARKS | ASP

APS | PHYSICS | JUNE 17 2013

|| NEW PARTICLE HINTS AT FOUR QUARK MATTER ||

Two experiments have detected the signature of a new particle , which may combine quarks in a way not seen before .

Particle physicists seem to have a pretty good handle on the fundamental particles of the universe , but there are some glaring holes in this understanding .

Quarks are a good example of this .

We know that all nuclear matter is made up of quarks , and we have a pretty good understanding of how two quarks interact at close range .

But our quark theory cannot tell us which quark combinations will result in a bound particle or a stable nuclei .

All we can go on is experience , and experience has shown that particles with four quarks do not exist .

But the situation may have changed with the possible discovery of a new particle containing at least four quarks .

Two separate groups , both reporting in Physical Review Letters , have seen evidence for this strange particle , called Zc ( 3900 ) .

Although the data is open to other interpretations , it’s clear that our understanding of quarks has a long way to go .

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