Featured Stories
National Park Service Announces Planned Interment of Civil War Soldier Recovered at Manassas National Battlefield Park
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service issued the following news release:
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National Park Service Announces Planned Interment of Civil War Soldier Recovered at Manassas National Battlefield Park
Archaeological study complete as NPS prepares to transfer remains of young Union soldier recovered at Manassas
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More than 160 years after he likely fought in the Second Battle of Manassas, a young Union soldier recovered during archaeological excavations at Manassas National Battlefield Park is one step closer to receiving the honors afforded to those
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service issued the following news release:
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National Park Service Announces Planned Interment of Civil War Soldier Recovered at Manassas National Battlefield Park
Archaeological study complete as NPS prepares to transfer remains of young Union soldier recovered at Manassas
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More than 160 years after he likely fought in the Second Battle of Manassas, a young Union soldier recovered during archaeological excavations at Manassas National Battlefield Park is one step closer to receiving the honors afforded to thosewho served their country.
The National Park Service today announced its plan to transfer the soldier's remains to the Office of Army Cemeteries following the completion of archaeological study and documentation, consistent with its responsibilities under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
The soldier was discovered during professional archaeological excavations conducted in March 2024 at the site of a Civil War field hospital within Manassas National Battlefield Park. Archaeologists were investigating an area associated with the Second Battle of Manassas when they uncovered the nearly complete burial of a Union soldier, along with a historic rubber pocket comb. The excavation also recovered four surgically amputated limbs from wounded soldiers treated at the hospital during the battle.
Analysis indicates the soldier was approximately 16 to 19 years old and likely fought during the Second Battle of Manassas in August 1862, one of the largest and most significant engagements of the Civil War.
"Every soldier who fought on this battlefield has a story, even if we may never know their name," said Superintendent Kristofer Butcher. "It has been our privilege and responsibility to care for these remains with dignity, guided by science, respect, and our commitment to preserving America's history. We are honored that this soldier will now receive a final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery."
The planned transfer reflects the National Park Service's dual responsibility to preserve and study archaeological resources while treating human remains with dignity and respect. The National Park Service remains committed to preserving America's battlefield history, advancing archaeological research, and honoring those who served.
Supporting documentation will be available for public review through the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment website from Aug. 13, 2026, through Sept. 4, 2026, consistent with the public notice requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
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Original text here: https://www.nps.gov/mana/learn/news/national-park-service-announces-planned-interment-of-civil-war-soldier-recovered-at-manassas-national-battlefield-park.htm
NOAA: Aerial Surveys - Monitoring Right Whales From Above
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news:
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Aerial Surveys: Monitoring Right Whales from Above
Endangered North Atlantic right whales spend the summer in their Northeast feeding grounds, including mothers with new calves. Our scientists and partners are helping to keep them safe by monitoring them from above using aerial surveys.
This story is part two of a three-part series. Read about how we are listening for North Atlantic right whales with passive acoustics, monitoring them with aerial surveys, and
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued the following news:
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Aerial Surveys: Monitoring Right Whales from Above
Endangered North Atlantic right whales spend the summer in their Northeast feeding grounds, including mothers with new calves. Our scientists and partners are helping to keep them safe by monitoring them from above using aerial surveys.
This story is part two of a three-part series. Read about how we are listening for North Atlantic right whales with passive acoustics, monitoring them with aerial surveys, andusing boats, drones, uncrewed surface vehicles and satellites to learn as much as we can about them and their habitat. In the Northeast, we work with many partners to track right whales, including mothers and calves, using advanced technology to help inform actions that reduce risks to the species.
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Many North Atlantic right whales migrate thousands of miles to the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic from mid-November to mid-April. Female right whales give birth in the shallow coastal waters of the Southeast during the winter months. The whales spend the rest of the year feeding in the plankton-rich waters off of the Northeast and Canada.
We take to the skies to monitor this journey. The Northeast Fisheries Science Center's aerial survey team conducts right whale surveys aboard a NOAA Twin Otter Aircraft. The team has flown 325 hours monitoring whales since January 2026. In the spring, they monitored whales off of New England and the Mid-Atlantic. In June, they joined Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) as part of a Joint Aerial Survey Team, flying out of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. There, they flew 50 hours monitoring aggregations of right whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Right Whale Moms and Calves Spotted in the Northeast
Aerial teams saw 19 of the 23 mother-calf pairs in the Northeast United States this spring. This includes the Center for Coastal Studies sightings of 14 mother-calf pairs in Cape Cod Bay--the highest number recorded in a single season.
Right whale #3520 "Millipede" was the first to be spotted. A member of the public saw her from shore off Nantucket Island and reported it in early March, after she was seen in Florida in early February! Within a few days, she was also spotted by the Center for Coastal Studies' aerial survey in Cape Cod Bay. This is an example of how reporting right whale sightings can help aerial survey teams choose areas to target.
More than 300 individual right whales, out of a total population of about 380, were seen in New England this spring. Our aerial survey team observed an aggregation south of Nantucket throughout the winter and an aggregation north of Cape Cod Bay in late April.
In June the team observed an aggregation in Gulf of St. Lawrence, and sighted a total of eight mother-calf pairs.
"It's always exciting to find a mother-calf pair on a survey. One day in the Gulf of St. Lawrence we sighted mother Slalom (#1245). We soon found her calf nearby playing with the calf of Giza (#3020). The two calves were rolling around and seemed to be chasing each other in a circle, while both mothers were close by," explained Large Whale Aerial Survey Biologist Emily Kelly. "It was encouraging to see the calves getting bigger and becoming more independent."
You can track aerial sightings and acoustic detections of right whales using WhaleMap. Our aerial survey team has observed and photographed 10 right whale moms with their calves so far this season.
In the Northeast United States, they have seen:
* Giza (#3020)
* Juno (#1612)
* Magic (#1243)
And in Canada they have seen:
* Giza (#3020)
* Slalom (#1245)
* Boomerang (#2503)
* Echo (#2642)
* Cascade (#3157)
* Uca (#3390)
* Squilla (#3720)
* Mirror (#4617)
How Aerial Surveys Provide Critical Information on Right Whales
The team also charts whale distribution, identifies areas of fishing gear entanglement and vessel strike risk, and monitors the injury rates from those risks.
They photograph the whales to identify individuals using their unique pattern of callosities, or knobby white patches of rough skin. They submit these photographs to the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium's photo-identification database, maintained by the New England Aquarium with support from NOAA Fisheries. We are researching automating photo identification using artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Aerial surveys help to trigger voluntary Dynamic Management Areas and Right Whale Slow Zones:
"When members of the public call in whale sightings, it helps us plan aerial surveys and provides data to management," explained Brigid McKenna, a research fish biologist who has flown more than 200 hours since the beginning of the year. "If we see an aggregation of three or more whales, a Dynamic Management Area is enacted to encourage boats to slow down. Right whales are endangered, and every sighting is important."
Dynamic Management Areas encourage mariners to avoid the area or reduce speeds to 10 knots or less while transiting. The areas are active for 15 days after the whales are detected. Since January, we have issued or extended 31 visually triggered DMAs/Right Whale Slow Zones. These voluntary measures are in addition to mandatory Seasonal Management Areas. In these areas, most vessels 65 feet or longer must travel at 10 knots or less in certain locations along the U.S. East Coast at certain times of the year.
With so many nautical miles of ocean to cover, we collaborate closely with aerial survey teams to monitor right whales in their habitats in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic:
* Center for Coastal Studies
* HDR
* TetraTech
* Azura, LLC
* New England Aquarium
* Maine Department of Marine Resources
* Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Stay tuned for the final installment of this three-part series. We will discuss how we're using boats and advanced technology to assess right whales' health, how we're reducing risks to whales, and what you can do to help!
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Original text here: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/aerial-surveys-monitoring-right-whales-above
Census Bureau: Business Trends and Outlook Survey Data Release -- August 13, 2026
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Census Bureau issued the following tip sheet on Aug. 13, 2026:
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Business Trends and Outlook Survey Data Release -- August 13, 2026
The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data products from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), a survey that measures business conditions and projections on an ongoing basis. The BTOS will continue to collect data complementary to key items found on other economic surveys, such as revenues, employees, hours, and inventories.
BTOS data are representative of all employer businesses in the U.S. economy, excluding
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (TNSrep) -- The U.S. Census Bureau issued the following tip sheet on Aug. 13, 2026:
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Business Trends and Outlook Survey Data Release -- August 13, 2026
The U.S. Census Bureau today released new data products from the Business Trends and Outlook Survey (BTOS), a survey that measures business conditions and projections on an ongoing basis. The BTOS will continue to collect data complementary to key items found on other economic surveys, such as revenues, employees, hours, and inventories.
BTOS data are representative of all employer businesses in the U.S. economy, excludingfarms. BTOS provides insight into the state of the economy by providing continuous, timely data for key economic measures every two weeks. By providing continuous data with geographic and subsector detail, BTOS captures the impact of events like natural disasters and economic crises and assists in monitoring recovery efforts.
The BTOS sample consists of approximately 1.2 million businesses with biweekly data collection. Selected businesses are split into six panels (approximately 200,000 cases per panel) that will be asked to report every 12 weeks for a year. The Census Bureau estimates it takes the average respondent approximately nine minutes to complete the survey, including the time for reviewing the instructions and answers.
Data will be released biweekly and available by sector, state and the 25 most populous metropolitan statistical areas. Survey results give local, state and federal officials essential, real-time data to aid in policymaking and decision-making. In addition, the information aids businesses in making economic decisions.
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View survey here: https://www.census.gov/data/experimental-data-products/business-trends-and-outlook-survey.html
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Original text here: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/btos-aug-13.html
CPSC Issues Recall Alert Involving SUGIFT Electric Pressure Washers, Model LTBBHG006
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert:
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Name of Product: SUGIFT Electric Pressure Washers, Model LTBBHG006
Hazard: The recalled pressure washers lack an integral ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI), and because the power cord is short it may encourage use of an extension cord, posing serious risks of injury or death from shock and electrocution hazards.
Remedy: Refund
Recall Date: August 13, 2026
Units: 13
Consumer Contact: SUGIFT by email at steven@sugift.net.
Recall Details
Description: This recall involves SUGIFT-branded
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert:
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Name of Product: SUGIFT Electric Pressure Washers, Model LTBBHG006
Hazard: The recalled pressure washers lack an integral ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI), and because the power cord is short it may encourage use of an extension cord, posing serious risks of injury or death from shock and electrocution hazards.
Remedy: Refund
Recall Date: August 13, 2026
Units: 13
Consumer Contact: SUGIFT by email at steven@sugift.net.
Recall Details
Description: This recall involves SUGIFT-brandedpressure washers. The recalled, 2.8 GPM electric pressure washers are orange and black, and measure about 11.4 inches deep, 12.7 inches wide and 25.2 inches high. The pressure washers come with a touch screen, foam cannon, four quick disconnect nozzles, a 20-foot hose and two rollers. Labeling on the front of the pressure washer reads "High Pressure Washer". The model number LTBBHG006 does not appear on the product but it was included in the Best Buy website listing.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled pressure washers immediately and contact SUGIFT for a full refund. Consumers will be asked to destroy the pressure washer by cutting the power cord in half (the product should be completely turned off and unplugged from power outlet) and send a photo of the destroyed pressure washer to steven@sugift.net. Consumers should then dispose of the destroyed recalled product.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported
Sold Online At: bestbuy.com from July 2025 through July 2026 for about $155.
Importer(s): SUGIFT, INC., of Albany, NY
Manufactured In: China
Recall number: 26-699
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Original text here: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/SUGIFT-Recalls-SUGIFT-Pressure-Washers-Due-to-Serious-Risk-of-Injury-or-Death-From-Shock-and-Electrocution-Hazards
CPSC Issues Recall Alert Involving Ritchey Carbon Fiber Bicycle Forks
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert:
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Name of Product: Ritchey Carbon Fiber Bicycle Forks
Hazard: The alloy insert located in the front crown hole of the carbon fork can come loose, causing an accessory to fall off and land on the bikes front wheel, posing a risk of serious injury or death from a fall and crash hazard.
Remedy: Repair
Recall Date: August 13, 2026
Units: About 775
Consumer Contact: Ritchey Design toll-free at 800-748-2439 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, email at ritcheydesign@ritcheylogic.com
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert:
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Name of Product: Ritchey Carbon Fiber Bicycle Forks
Hazard: The alloy insert located in the front crown hole of the carbon fork can come loose, causing an accessory to fall off and land on the bikes front wheel, posing a risk of serious injury or death from a fall and crash hazard.
Remedy: Repair
Recall Date: August 13, 2026
Units: About 775
Consumer Contact: Ritchey Design toll-free at 800-748-2439 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, email at ritcheydesign@ritcheylogic.comor online at https://ritcheylogic.com/support/recall or https://ritcheylogic.com/ and click on "Safety Recalls" at the top of the page to receive more information.
Recall Details
Description: This recall involves Ritchey Carbon Fiber Bicycle Forks with a crown hole. The fork fits on the front of the bicycle to hold the front wheel in place. The fork is sold individually and with certain Ritchey bicycle framesets. The framesets were sold as Montebello (Hot sauce color), Septimer (Black & White color) and Outback (Aurora and Winter Sage color). The individual black carbon forks were sold as WCS Carbon Mountain Adventure Fork, WCS Carbon Brevet Road Fork, WCS Carbon Adventure Gravel Fork and WCS Carbon Tapered Adventure Gravel Fork. The brand name "Ritchey" is located on the fork.
Remedy: Consumers are asked to stop using the bicycles equipped with the recalled fork immediately. Please inspect the front crown hole for any attached racks or accessories. The threaded hole located above the front wheel should be closed immediately. Consumers should register at https://ritcheylogic.com/support/recall to receive a free Ritchey Fork Crown Hole Closure Kit with instructions. All carbon bicycle forks with crown mounting holes are included in the recall.
Incidents/Injuries: The firm has received one report of the alloy insert in the crown hole coming loose. No injuries have been reported.
Sold At: Performance Bike, Chico CA, Adrenaline Bikes, Orange CA, Excel Sports Boulder, Boulder, CO and other bicycle retailers nationwide and on-line including ritcheylogic.com from July 2024 through June 2026 for between $660 and $700 (individual carbon bicycle fork) and between $1,760 and $3,500 (bike frames with carbon bicycle forks).
Importer(s): Ritchey Design, of Reno, Neveda
Manufactured In: Taiwan
Recall number: 26-696
Fast Track Recall
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Original text here: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/Ritchey-Design-Recalls-Carbon-Bicycle-Forks-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Fall-and-Crash-Hazards
CPSC Issues Recall Alert Involving Deli Jerry Fuel Containers
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert:
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Name of Product: Deli Jerry Fuel Containers
Hazard: The recalled fuel containers violate the requirement for closures under the Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act. The closure is not child-resistant, posing a risk of burns and poisoning to children.
Remedy: Refund
Recall Date: August 13, 2026
Units: About 1,750
Consumer Contact: Deli OfficeSupplies at 909-235-6518 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, email at service@steelitetool.com or online at www.delibestmate.com/pages/recall-notice
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 -- The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the following recall alert:
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Name of Product: Deli Jerry Fuel Containers
Hazard: The recalled fuel containers violate the requirement for closures under the Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act. The closure is not child-resistant, posing a risk of burns and poisoning to children.
Remedy: Refund
Recall Date: August 13, 2026
Units: About 1,750
Consumer Contact: Deli OfficeSupplies at 909-235-6518 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, email at service@steelitetool.com or online at www.delibestmate.com/pages/recall-noticeor www.delibestmate.com and click "Recall" at the top of the page for more information.
Recall Details
Description: This recall involves Deli-branded fuel containers. They are dark green metal cans and have a cap and a plastic tube. The fuel containers were sold in 5.3-gallon (20-liter), 6.6-gallon (25-liter) and 7.9-gallon (30-liter) capacities. The brand's Star logo and the capacity are embossed on the side of the containers.
Remedy: Consumers should stop using the recalled fuel containers immediately and contact Deli OfficeSupplies for a full refund. Consumers will be asked to destroy the fuel container by writing in permanent maker "RECALLED" on the product and to send a photo of the destroyed fuel container to service@steelitetool.com. Consumers should then dispose of the recalled product in accordance with local and/or state disposal procedures.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported
Sold Online At: Walmart.com from April 2025 through June 2026 for about $36.
Retailer: Ningbo DELI IMP. & EXP. Co., Ltd., dba Deli OfficeSupplies, of China
Manufactured In: China
Recall number: 26-691
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Original text here: https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/Deli-Jerry-Fuel-Containers-Recalled-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Burn-Hazard-and-Child-Poisoning-Violate-Mandatory-Standard-for-Portable-Fuel-Containers-Sold-on-Walmart-com-by-Deli-OfficeSupplies
Brookhaven National Laboratory: Gluons May Play Central Role in Baryon Number Conservation
UPTON, New York, Aug. 14 (TNSjou) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Brookhaven National Laboratory issued the following news release:
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Gluons May Play Central Role in Baryon Number Conservation
Quark-connecting 'gluon junction' could be primary carrier of baryon number, essential to stability of protons, atoms, and all visible matter
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New results from the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) suggest that gluons, the gluelike particles that hold quarks together inside protons, play a central role in the conservation of baryon number -- an essential part of a particle's
... Show Full Article
UPTON, New York, Aug. 14 (TNSjou) -- The U.S. Department of Energy Brookhaven National Laboratory issued the following news release:
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Gluons May Play Central Role in Baryon Number Conservation
Quark-connecting 'gluon junction' could be primary carrier of baryon number, essential to stability of protons, atoms, and all visible matter
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New results from the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) suggest that gluons, the gluelike particles that hold quarks together inside protons, play a central role in the conservation of baryon number -- an essential part of a particle'squantum identity. The findings from energetic particle collisions at RHIC -- a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science user facility for nuclear physics research that operated at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory from 2000 to early 2026 -- suggest that baryon number is carried by a Y-shaped "junction" of gluons connecting the proton's three main quarks. The study, published in the journal Science, challenges a long-held view that baryon number is solely carried by those three quarks.
"Traditionally, scientists have assumed that each of the three main 'valence' quarks inside a proton or neutron carries one-third of the baryon number," said Zhangbu Xu, a professor at Kent State University with a joint appointment at Brookhaven Lab.
The baryon junction, or gluon junction, was predicted by physicists in the 1970s to explain how gluons hold those valence quarks together within protons. Then, in 1996, four years before RHIC turned on, Dmitri Kharzeev, a theoretical physicist at Stony Brook University and Brookhaven Lab, proposed that the baryon junction could be the true carrier of baryon number, instead of the valence quarks. In the current paper, the STAR team describes their innovative strategy to test this idea.
"Using data collected from different types of particle collisions at RHIC, our results suggest that the baryon number is not simply carried by individual quarks," Xu added "Our findings strongly support the idea that baryon number is more favorably carried and transported by gluons, the particles that hold quarks together, when arranged in this special configuration."
Baryon number conservation
Identifying the carrier of baryon number has important implications. At the level of RHIC collisions, baryon number conservation ensures that the total number of baryons -- three-quark particles such as protons and neutrons -- remains the same before and after a collision. But the idea of baryon number conservation extends to the entire universe.
"Since the Big Bang, the number of protons and neutrons all together never changes as a function of time," said Nicole Lewis, a STAR physicist at Rice University who started this project as a postdoc at Brookhaven Lab in 2020. "The reasons for this conservation are not well understood. It's one of the mysteries of the universe, related to why we have more matter than antimatter," she said.
On an everyday practical level, baryon number conservation explains why protons, central building blocks of atomic nuclei, are so stable and don't decay.
"It's believed that the lifetime of a proton is longer than the lifespan of the universe," Lewis said. "This allows atomic nuclei to form and be stable -- which means matter, as we interact with it in the universe, can exist."
Excess baryons
The idea that gluons carry baryon number challenges the conventional picture of how this quantum property is conserved. Most textbooks state that a proton's baryon number of plus one is divided equally among its three primary valence quarks, with each of these quarks carrying a plus one-third baryon number. This is similar to the way electric charge is distributed among the three valence quarks of a proton.
"In the naive quark model, there are three quarks inside a proton, but nothing else," said Tommy Tsang, formerly a postdoc at Kent State University, now at DOE's Argonne National Laboratory. "But if we look at details inside, there are not only three quarks but also a lot of gluons interacting, connecting between those quarks, and there are also quarks and antiquarks that pop up from the vacuum, so it's actually a really complex object."
The theory developed to describe this complex structure, known as quantum chromodynamics (QCD), has been very successful at describing the "strong force" mediated interactions among quarks and gluons. However, models inspired by QCD often require additional assumptions to account for observations of particles streaming from RHIC's collisions of nuclei accelerated close to the speed of light.
"In the STAR detector, we consistently see an excess of baryons coming out of the collisions perpendicular to the direction of the colliding beams," Tsang said. "The fact that we end up with more baryons than antibaryons -- or more matter than antimatter -- is not surprising since our collisions start with matter," he said. The high energy collisions release an enormous amount of energy that is transformed into the creation of thousands of new particles.
But seeing a baryon excess, or net baryon number, in particles emerging away from the beamline caused the STAR team to question the assumption that valence quarks are solely responsible for carrying the baryon number. To produce the observed excess, it would require all three quarks of a single colliding proton to "stop" and undergo a transformation from matter to energy and then back to matter in the center of the detector, with all those newly created baryons spraying out away from the beamline.
Comparison with charges
Fortunately, the STAR physicists could use the fact that valence quarks carry electric charge to test what was going on. They compared the net baryon numbers observed from different kinds of nuclear smashups at RHIC with the redistribution of electric charges in the same collisions.
"Measuring the electric charge coming out perpendicular to the collision gives you a definitive way of measuring how many quarks are stopped and transformed into new particles," said Zebo Tang, a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China who led a group of students performing data analyses and model simulations.
The scientists found twice as many baryons as would be expected from the measured electric charges coming from stopped quarks. This means, according to the models based on QCD, that not enough quarks are being stopped to create the observed baryons.
So where are all the excess baryons coming from? The answer, according to the STAR physicists, could be the gluons -- and specifically the three-pronged junction of gluons that normally holds the valence quarks together.
Baryon junction transformation and transportation
According to the STAR team, when the protons that make up nuclei collide at RHIC, the quark-connecting "gluon junction" or "baryon junction" can be stopped much more easily than the three quarks; all its energy is transformed into new baryons that spray out in perpendicular directions while the quarks it usually connects continue to fly down the beampipe.
To understand this sleight-of-hand decoupling, it might help to picture what happens inside protons accelerated close to the speed of light.
"The baryon junction is always there even as protons are accelerated to higher and higher energy," Prithwish Tribedy, a STAR physicist at Brookhaven Lab. "But at high energy, gluons within the proton split and multiply."
With more and more gluons, each individual gluon, including those that make up the junction, carries less and less of the proton's overall momentum, while the valence quarks, also still present, continue to carry the bulk of the proton's forward oomph. That means, at the instant of the collision, the slower-moving three-pronged gluon structure should be easier to stop and transform into new particles than the speeding quarks.
The simplicity of stopping a single object -- the junction -- rather than three individual quarks also makes such an interaction more likely, Tribedy said. "In the collision, the baryon junction gets held behind and the quarks continue on," he noted.
Then, since quarks and gluons can't exist on their own, these entities immediately partner up with new particles. In an oversimplified case, each quark flying down the beampipe might partner up with an antiquark to form two-quark particles called mesons, while the three-pronged gluon junction, like a Y shaped magnet, pulls in three new quarks from the vacuum to become a new baryon.
In reality, the transformation tends to be much more dramatic.
"Even though we start with nuclei that contain roughly 100 protons and 100 neutrons, these collisions create thousands of new particles; 99% of the energy is transformed into new particles," said Rongrong Ma, a Brookhaven Lab physicist. The higher the number of particles produced in a collision, the greater the observed excess of "midrapidity" baryons is, compared with what would be expected from the naive picture of quarks as the sole carriers of baryon number.
The observation that so many of the baryons produced emerge perpendicular to the beamline provides compelling support for the existence of the baryon junction.
"Our research challenges the long-held idea that baryon number is simply divided among and carried by the three quarks," said Ma. "This new understanding reshapes how we think about the structure of matter and deepens our knowledge of the most fundamental element that is responsible for the universe in its current form."
This work was supported by the DOE Office of Science, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), and a range of international agencies and organizations listed in the scientific paper. In addition to using the Open Science Grid, supported directly by NSF, the researchers made use of computing resources in the Scientific Data and Computing Facilities at Brookhaven Lab and the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), which is another DOE Office of Science user facility at DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
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Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.
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URL: http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads5962
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Original text here: https://www.bnl.gov/newsroom/news.php?a=122692
