Protons are particles that exist in the nucleus of all atoms, with their number defining the elements themselves. Protons, however, are not fundamental particles. Rather, they are composite particles ...

Atoms are made of three things: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Electrons are a type of fundamental particle, but protons and neutrons are composite particles made of up and down quarks. Protons ...

The building blocks of matter that have been experimentally verified are the quarks and leptons described by the Standard Model. Since the discovery of the electron in 1897, physicists have identified ...

The internal structure of a proton, with quarks, gluons, and quark spin shown. The nuclear force acts like a spring, with negligible force when unstretched but large, attractive forces when stretched ...

There’s a pencil lying on my desk right now. It’s not much to look at, but what if I could zoom way in and see the protons and other itty-bitty stuff inside it? My friend Ryan Corbin told me it would ...

In the world of nuclear physics, protons often take the spotlight. But now, for the first time, the neutron has stepped into it. A recent experiment using the U.S. Department of Energy’s Jefferson Lab ...

Particles seen by the ALICE experiment hint at the formation of quark-gluon plasma during proton-proton collisions. About 13.8 billion years ago, the universe was a hot, thick soup of quarks and ...

The structure of a neutron or a proton is modified when the particle is bound in an atomic nucleus. Experimental data suggest an explanation for this phenomenon that could have broad implications for ...

Scientists of the CDF collaboration at the Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory announced today (October 23, 2006) the discovery of two rare types of particles, exotic ...

The very first element on the Periodic Table may be the key to solving mysteries hiding inside the atom’s nucleus. Nuclear physicists are comparing different hydrogen nuclei to learn more about its ...