Proton spin dynamics (IMAGE)

DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory

Proton spin dynamics

Caption

Newly analyzed data from the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) are offering insight into the internal structure of individual protons, which are made up of quarks (colored spheres) and gluons (yellow "springs"). The measurements have the potential to reveal whether the internal motion of the gluons (white arrow) aligns with and contributes to the overall spin of the proton (indicated by small gray arrow).

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Brookhaven National Laboratory

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