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Article: Sticky questions inside the proton
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- August 8, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1994 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Hydrogen is the most abundant substance in the universe. It is
also the simplest of all the atoms, its nucleus consisting of a
single proton around which orbits a solitary electron. The proton
is therefore important, if only because it is the major constituent
of the most abundant element.
But protons are the constituents of all atomic nuclei. The
structure and internal dynamics of the proton, although it may seem
rather recherche a topic, is thus one of the most fundamental
issues in the study of the physical world.
And things are sticky inside the proton. Experiments at the Hera
accelerator in Hamburg are throwing new light on the nature of
subatomic particles. When the results were ...