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Breakthrough in quantum chromodynamics: New findings from Mainz!
Physicists at JGU Mainz make groundbreaking advances in strong interactions, published in Physical Review Letters.
Breakthrough in quantum chromodynamics: New findings from Mainz!
Physicists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have made innovative advances in the physics of strong interactions. The results of this research, led by Prof. Dr. Georg von Hippel and Dr. Konstantin Ottnad, were published in the renowned scientific journalPhysical Review Letterspublished. These studies focus on quantum chromodynamics (QCD), the fundamental theory behind strong interactions that explains the properties of atomic nuclei.
QCD describes the interactions between quarks and gluons, the building blocks of protons and neutrons. These two particles each consist of three quarks, which occur in bound states known as hadrons. Historically, the existence of quarks was postulated by Murray Gell-Mann in 1964, for which he received the Nobel Prize in 1969. Despite their fundamental role in matter, quarks have not yet been directly observed.
Advances through lattice QCD
In their research, the scientists use grid QCD, a method that allows the complicated equations of QCD to be simulated on a discrete grid. This is particularly useful because the mathematical equations of QCD are extremely difficult to solve conventionally. Lattice QCD has made it possible to calculate the masses of protons and other particles more precisely and to gain insights into the early universe conditions when quarks and gluons existed freely.
The current calculations have increased the accuracy of the results by more than ten times compared to previous studies. Particular attention was paid to a previously elusive low-energy constant that describes the pion's interaction with the Higgs field. This has now been precisely determined for the first time. The use of supercomputers from the Gauss Center for Supercomputing e. V. and Mainz high-performance computing clusters was crucial to the success of these calculations.
Future goals of the research
In addition to determining the low energy constant mentioned above, future research goals are to determine the radii of kaons and to better understand the physical moments of quarks. The work reinforces the importance of the strong interaction, which in many cases exceeds the electrical repulsion between protons. The concept of asymptotic freedom is also evident in QCD, which describes that the interaction between quarks decreases at small distances.
The latest results from the Mainz physicists not only expand our understanding of quantum chromodynamics, but also open up new perspectives for experimental and theoretical physics. The significant advances in lattice QCD and the rich information generated by computer simulations reinforce the central role of this theory in the Standard Model of elementary particle physics.
In summary, the work in Mainz is an impressive example of how modern technology and theoretical physics work together to unlock the deepest secrets of the universe and gain insight into the fundamental forces of nature.
presse.uni-mainz.de reports that the precise calculations of the Mainz physicists are based on the complex theoretical foundations of the Quantum chromodynamics based, which describes the strong interaction as quantum field theory, while weltderphysik.de highlights the historical context and challenges in solving the QCD equations.