AI Insight
Scientists at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider have developed a new method to study the internal structure of atomic nuclei using near-miss collisions rather than direct impacts between particles traveling at nearly the speed of light. This approach exploits quantum interference effects that occur when nuclei pass close to each other without colliding, enabling researchers to create more detailed maps of gluon distributions inside nuclei. The technique advances capabilities for probing the fundamental structure of matter at RHIC, a DOE facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Why it matters
This method provides a novel tool for investigating the internal composition of atomic nuclei, particularly the distribution of gluons that help hold quarks together. The improved mapping techniques could enhance understanding of quantum chromodynamics and the fundamental forces governing matter at the subatomic level.
Understand the Science
Scientists studying particle collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) usually capture what happens when atomic nuclei smash into one another at nearly the speed of light. But even when the nuclei don’t collide, interesting things can happen. In a new paper just published in Physical Review Letters, members of RHIC’s STAR collaboration describe a new way to use near-miss collisions at RHIC to study what’s going on inside the nucleus. The approach advances the reach of RHIC, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility at DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, into the next frontier in nuclear physics—a journey into the inner workings of the building blocks of matter.
Source: Flipped quantum interference unlocks clearer gluon maps from near-miss nuclear encounters