Mesonic molecule
Encyclopedia
A mesonic molecule is a set of two or more meson
s bound together by the strong force. Unlike baryonic molecules
, which form the nuclei of all elements in nature save hydrogen-1
, a mesonic molecule has yet to be definitively observed. The X(3872)
discovered in 2003 and the Z(4430)
discovered in 2007 by the Belle experiment
are the best candidates for such an observation.
Meson
In particle physics, mesons are subatomic particles composed of one quark and one antiquark, bound together by the strong interaction. Because mesons are composed of sub-particles, they have a physical size, with a radius roughly one femtometer: 10−15 m, which is about the size of a proton...
s bound together by the strong force. Unlike baryonic molecules
Atomic nucleus
The nucleus is the very dense region consisting of protons and neutrons at the center of an atom. It was discovered in 1911, as a result of Ernest Rutherford's interpretation of the famous 1909 Rutherford experiment performed by Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden, under the direction of Rutherford. The...
, which form the nuclei of all elements in nature save hydrogen-1
Hydrogen atom
A hydrogen atom is an atom of the chemical element hydrogen. The electrically neutral atom contains a single positively-charged proton and a single negatively-charged electron bound to the nucleus by the Coulomb force...
, a mesonic molecule has yet to be definitively observed. The X(3872)
X(3872)
The X is an anomalous particle with an energy of 3871.2 MeV which does not fit into the quark model because of its quantum numbers. It was discovered by the Belle experiment in Japan and later confirmed by several other experimental collaborations. Several theories have been proposed for its...
discovered in 2003 and the Z(4430)
Z(4430)
Z is a mesonic resonance discovered by the Belle experiment.. It has a mass of . This resonance has not yet been seen in other experiments....
discovered in 2007 by the Belle experiment
Belle experiment
The Belle experiment is a particle physics experiment conducted by the Belle Collaboration, an international collaboration of more than 400 physicists and engineers investigating CP-violation effects at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organisation in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.The...
are the best candidates for such an observation.