2017 Annual Report

Science News | APRIL 29, 2017 THE PROTON PUZZLE

The subatomic particles make up much of the visible matter in the universe, but scientists still have a lot to learn about protons. The PHENIX experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York helped discover the source of protons’ spin, a quantum property analogous to the spinning of a top. Data from PHENIX helped demonstrate that gluons—particles that hold the proton together—contributed to the spin.

BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LAB (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

52 | 2017 ANNUAL REPORT | BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND STAFF