Physics researchers don propose better way to understand matter wey resemble di very hot fluid wey fill universe when e just begin. Study wey Physical Review Letters publish on 5 November calculate how heavy quarks wey move fast exchange momentum with things around dem. Di result na theory: e give new explanation wey dem fit test against measurements from experiments.
Di authors na Jean F. Du Plessis of MIT and Bruno Scheihing-Hitschfeld of University of California, Santa Barbara. Their calculations check particles wey travel almost as fast as light through plasma. Dem find say di common bell-shaped pattern wey balance for both sides and wey people use for random disturbances no fit describe unusually big changes for motion well enough.
Di important difference dey for rare events. For di calculation, big jolt wey slow heavy quark down more likely than equally big jolt wey make am faster. So di two tails of di probability pattern no balance. Dis no mean every particle must slow down every moment; e describe how possible changes spread across plenty interactions.
Di paper derive dat pattern for plasma wey im particles interact relatively weakly. Di researchers also find di same structure inside earlier calculation for plasma wey im particles interact strongly. So dem expect say e go matter for real quark-gluon plasma. Dat expectation na proposed connection to nature; no be proof say detector don confirm dis new prediction.
Quarks and gluons na parts of protons and neutrons inside atomic nuclei. CERN explain say when heavy ions collide with enough energy, dem fit briefly form state where quarks and gluons no dey trapped inside those normal particles again. Experiments like ALICE study dis quark-gluon plasma as e expand and cool, and use particles wey come out to investigate how e behave.
Wetin e mean for you. Nigerian students and readers wey dey learn physics fit see how research connect calculation with something wey person fit measure. Theory fit change di things wey scientists look for inside their data, including rare events wey simpler model miss. Dis paper move dat reasoning forward; e no announce new energy source, invention for consumers or say dem recreate di whole early universe.