Chapter 1: Understanding the Subatomic World

The field of particle physics has undergone significant advancements since the revelation of the Higgs Boson—often referred to as the "God particle"—in 2012. This pivotal moment has prompted researchers to delve deeper into the complexities of subatomic particles. Just last year, scientists established that the Higgs boson decays into a pair of heavier particles known as 'muons,' which are akin to electrons.

This landmark finding opened the doors to a previously unexplored subatomic realm. While theoretical concepts of such particles have lingered for decades, concrete evidence has been scarce. This brings us to the exciting confirmation of the 'odderon'—a unique occurrence identified when protons collide at high energies. Initially theorized in the 1970s, researchers are finally validating this elusive phenomenon through data obtained from CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

The term 'odderon' refers to a configuration of three 'gluons' exchanged between protons. But what exactly are gluons? As their name implies, gluons serve as the "glue" that binds quarks—minute particles that form protons and neutrons. Gluons typically exist in pairs; an even number constitutes a 'pomeron,' while an odd number leads to the formation of an odderon. Despite the rarity of odderons, scientists have tirelessly pursued evidence of their existence, as the prevailing theories of quantum physics suggest they are indeed real. Hints of their presence have emerged over the last fifty years, culminating in a promising breakthrough.

“This is a milestone in particle physics! It's exhilarating to enhance our understanding of matter, the very building blocks of our universe.”

~ Roman Pasechnik, Researcher

Section 1.1: Data Analysis and Remote Collaboration

Fortunately for the research community, physicists were able to analyze extensive data remotely during the pandemic. They examined two major data sets: one from the now-defunct DØ experiment at Fermilab in Illinois, and another from the TOTEM experiment at the LHC conducted in 2015, 2019, and 2020. The Fermilab experiment involved collisions between protons and antiprotons, while the LHC focused on proton-proton interactions.

An international team has announced that their data has reached a statistical significance level known as "five sigma," indicating a 99.999+% certainty in their discovery. Although they felt confident about their findings last year, they sought validation from other researchers worldwide before making any definitive claims. The peer reviews have been overwhelmingly supportive, suggesting that this research offers substantial experimental evidence for the detection of odderons. However, they still hope for confirmation from additional experiments.

Subsection 1.1.1: Future Directions in Research

The researchers believe their journey has just begun. The upcoming Electron-Ion Collider, set to be constructed in New York and expected to open in the early 2030s, could revolutionize our understanding of odderons and address other lingering inquiries within particle physics.

The first video, titled "Quarks and Gluons with an Unsung Hero: Professor Graham Ross," sheds light on the significance of these particles in our universe and the ongoing research in particle physics.

The second video, "Bite-Size Science - Exploring the World of Quarks & Gluons," presented by Nobuo Sato from Jefferson Lab, offers a concise overview of quarks and gluons, emphasizing their critical roles in the subatomic landscape.

Complete research findings have been published as a preprint and submitted to the Journal of Physical Review Letters.

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