Five-quark particle may exist 9Goleta Valley Voice)

Five-quark particle may exist

Goleta Valley Voice
July 4, 2003

There's a new kid on the quantum physics block, some U.S. and Japanese scientists announced this week: a five-quark particle, or "pentaquark."

In separate experiments, U.S. scientists and a group in Japan both announced discovery of a five-quark particle. This particle, if verified by more research, would constitute a previously unknown form of matter.

Quarks are sub-atomic particles that are essentially sound waves, and they have heretofore been found to bond together in twos or fours. A five-part entity has not been seen before.

The scientists said the five-part wave is a long-lived resonance, somewhat like a person might produce by blowing over the top of a glass bottle.