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U.S. Heavy-Ion Collision Research Suggests Protons and Neutrons May Not Be Just "Three Quarks"

The STAR Collaboration at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory recently proposed, based on heavy-ion collision data studies, that baryons such as protons and neutrons may not be simply composed of three valence quarks, and that their baryon number may be more closely related to "baryon junctions" in the gluon field. The findings were published in the journal *Science*. In the traditional valence quark model, each quark is assigned a baryon number of 1/3, so baryons such as protons and neutrons, composed of three quarks, carry a baryon number of +1. However, this model is not a fundamental requirement of quantum chromodynamics (QCD). As early as the 1970s, alternative explanations had been proposed in the theoretical community; in 1996, Dmitri Kharzeev proposed a model suggesting that the baryon number is not necessarily carried by the quarks themselves, but may instead be concentrated at the Y-shaped junction formed by the gluon field—the "baryon junction."

2026-08-31

Japanese Team Achieves Femtosecond Soft X-ray Hyperspectral Microscopy, Simultaneously Acquiring Spatial and Energy Information with Single Pulse

On August 21, the Japan Science and Technology Agency, RIKEN, and the University of Tokyo announced that a research team comprising Assistant Professor Yoko Takeo and Associate Professor Takashi Kimura from the Institute for Solid State Physics at the University of Tokyo, Assistant Professor Satoru Egawa from the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, and Team Leader Makina Yabashi from the RIKEN SPring-8 Center, among others, successfully developed and implemented a femtosecond soft X-ray hyperspectral microscope. The findings were published on August 20 in the U.S. scientific journal *Optica*. This technology utilizes a single soft X-ray pulse from an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) to simultaneously acquire soft X-ray spectra transmitted through different positions of a sample, enabling...

2026-08-31

First experiments at Russia's SKIF microfocus station to target "invisible" gold deposits and extraterrestrial particle research

On August 19, 2026, the microfocus station, one of the first-stage experimental stations of the Russian SKIF Collective Use Center, announced its initial experimental directions. The station will utilize synchrotron radiation-based analytical techniques to study the elemental composition and structural characteristics of objects, serving fields such as geology, geophysics, microelectronics, and materials science. At the SKIF opening ceremony, Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected the microfocus station. According to the presentation, the station's first experiments will focus on the exploration and extraction of hard-to-recover gold, platinum, rare earth elements, and oil reserves. Ore sample research is a critical step in the development of new mineral deposits. By determining the elemental composition of rocks, researchers can...

2026-08-31

Russian Research Team Proposes New Method for Measuring Proton and Deuteron Electric Dipole Moments in a Single Storage Ring

Physicists from several Russian research institutions have proposed a new method for searching for the electric dipole moments of protons and deuterons, potentially enabling the study of both particle types in a single storage ring. The participating institutions include the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, and the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The research was published in the journal *Nuclear Science and Technology* and was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation. The electric dipole moment reflects whether there is a tiny asymmetry between the internal charge distribution of a particle and its spin direction. According to Standard Model predictions, the electric dipole moments of the proton and deuteron are nonzero but extremely small, on the order of 10...

2026-08-31

U.S. Electron-Ion Collider ePIC Detector Completes First Batch of Lead Tungstate Crystal Procurement and Acceptance

The U.S. Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) project recently achieved its first long-lead procurement milestone: 1,069 custom lead tungstate crystals for the new ePIC detector have been delivered, tested, and accepted. These crystals will be used in the Electron Endcap Electromagnetic Calorimeter (EEEMCAL) to help precisely measure the energy of scattered electrons during collisions. The EIC is being built by the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, in collaboration with the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The facility will circulate electron and ion beams in opposite directions, colliding them inside the ePIC detector. The ePIC detector records information about particles produced in the collisions, providing data for studying the fundamental constituents of visible matter...

2026-08-31

Japanese research team visualizes cellular metabolic changes during fracture healing using hyperpolarized MRI

August 21, 2026, Gifu Pharmaceutical University and Gifu University announced that a multi-institutional Japanese research team successfully visualized changes in the redox state of skeletal progenitor cells during fracture healing in living mice using hyperpolarized magnetic resonance imaging technology. The findings were published online on August 15, 2026, in the British academic journal *npj Imaging*. The study was led by Takuya Kubo, a graduate student in the Department of Pharmacology at Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Professor Eiichi Hinoi, and related research teams at Gifu University, in collaboration with the University of Tokyo, Osaka University, the Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, and other institutions. After a fracture occurs, a tissue called a...

2026-08-31

Ukraine Advances Modernization of Odesa Radioactive Waste Management System

The State Agency of Ukraine for Exclusion Zone Management (SAUEZM) recently organized a working meeting in Odesa to discuss the modernization of the radioactive waste management system and the implementation progress of related international technical assistance projects. The meeting was held at the Odesa Interregional Branch of the Ukrainian state-owned specialized enterprise "Association Radon," chaired by Oleksiy Budyk, Deputy Head of SAUEZM, with participation from the Joint Support Office (JSO), NT-Engineering LLC, and management and experts of Association Radon. The meeting covered two international technical assistance projects...

2026-08-31

Japanese team achieves high-precision mass measurements of argon isotopes, revealing variations in the strength of the new magic number N=32

An international collaborative research team comprising RIKEN and the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), among others, conducted high-precision mass measurements of short-lived argon isotopes far from the line of nuclear stability, using the superconducting RI beam generation and separation device BigRIPS at the RI Beam Factory (RIBF) of RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, as well as the CRISMASS system, a stationary slow radioactive isotope precision mass spectrometer jointly developed by the two institutions. The research team directly measured the mass of argon-50 (^50Ar, 18 protons, 32 neutrons) for the first time, and improved the mass measurement precision of argon-49 (^49Ar) by approximately 250-fold compared to previous measurements, providing insights into the energy of the two-neutron shell gap near the new magic number N=32. The results have been...

2026-08-31

Finland's 2025 Environmental Radiation Monitoring Shows No Harmful Effects from Nuclear Power Plant Operations

The 2025 environmental radiation monitoring results released recently by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland (STUK) show that radioactive substance levels in the Finnish environment generally remained low, and the operation of the Loviisa and Olkiluoto nuclear power plants has not caused harmful radiation impacts on the public or the environment. STUK continuously tracks Finland's radiation situation through its environmental radiation monitoring program. The monitoring includes continuous measurement of external radiation, as well as monitoring of radioactive substances in air, radioactive fallout, water bodies, food, and the human body, with the aim of promptly detecting changes in radiation levels and confirming the safety of the living environment. Finland's automatic external radiation monitoring network covers essentially the entire country. In 2025, 255 monitoring...

2026-08-31

Japan Plans to Include Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Prefecture, in Nuclear Waste Disposal Site Selection Survey

According to sources familiar with the matter on August 31, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is considering conducting a preliminary survey in Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Prefecture, to designate the city as one of the potential candidate sites for a final disposal facility for high-level radioactive waste. The relevant plan is expected to be submitted to the Hitachiomiya municipal government. If the local government accepts the plan, Hitachiomiya will become the fifth location in Japan to undergo such a preliminary survey. The site selection process for Japan's high-level radioactive waste disposal facility involves multiple stages, and the entire screening process typically takes several years. The proposed preliminary survey is an early step to determine whether the area meets the conditions for further evaluation...

2026-08-31

Chonnam National University Hospital in Hwasun, South Korea, Adopts Deepnoid's Chest X-ray AI Interpretation Solution "M4CXR"

Deepnoid announced on August 31 that it has signed a supply contract with Chonnam National University Hospital in Hwasun, South Korea, to provide the hospital with its AI-based chest X-ray preliminary opinion generation solution, M4CXR. This contract is part of the "AI Medical System Support Project for Regional Responsible Medical Institutions" promoted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of South Korea. Chonnam National University Hospital in Hwasun plans to improve the work efficiency of medical staff in interpreting chest X-ray images and further enhance the quality of medical services through the introduction of M4CXR. A representative from the Hwasun branch of Chonnam National University Hospital stated that introducing a generative AI-based image interpretation support system is of great significance for improving the quality of public medical services...

2026-08-31

Korea's Eugene MS Wins KRW 11.4 Billion Order for ITER Core Components

Korea's Eugene MS announced on August 31 that it has signed a contract with the Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE) to produce and supply the second batch of vacuum vessel port sealing flanges for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The contract is valued at approximately KRW 11.4 billion, equivalent to about 44% of Eugene MS's 2025 revenue of KRW 25.9 billion. The contract period runs through December 2030. Under the arrangement, the sealing flanges will be delivered to the ITER Organization in three batches, with final inspection and related procedures scheduled for completion by June 30, 2031. The ITER vacuum vessel port sealing flanges consist of large fasteners and other components...

2026-08-31

Assam, India, Plans to Introduce Proton Beam Therapy for Cancer Treatment at a Public Hospital

Cancer treatment capabilities in Assam, India, are set to be upgraded. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the state cabinet has approved the introduction of a proton beam therapy system at Gauhati Medical College Hospital. Once the project is completed, Assam will become the third region in India to offer proton beam therapy, and the hospital will be the first public hospital in India to be equipped with this technology. Currently, proton beam therapy is already in use at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai and the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre in Chennai. The facility planned at Gauhati Medical College Hospital will become the third such treatment center in India. Proton beam therapy is an advanced form of radiotherapy used to treat cancer and certain non-cancerous tumors. Unlike conventional radiation therapy, which typically uses X-rays, proton therapy delivers precise irradiation to the tumor area using high-energy positively charged particles—protons. As proton beams enter the body, they release energy, causing DNA damage to cells. Healthy cells generally possess some capacity for repair, whereas cancer cells are less able to repair themselves, thereby inhibiting their growth and proliferation and helping to destroy tumor tissue.

2026-08-31

Construction of Radiotherapy Room at Sao San Tun Hospital in Taunggyi, Myanmar, Approximately 80% Complete

On August 30, 2026, the Chief Minister of Shan State, Myanmar, U Sai Tin Soe, accompanied by relevant officials, inspected the construction of the radiotherapy room at Sao San Tun Hospital in Taunggyi. The radiotherapy room is a single-story reinforced concrete building with a floor area of 95 feet × 52 feet, and the project is currently approximately 80% complete. During the inspection, officials from the building department reported on the project's construction progress, and the Chief Minister gave instructions on subsequent work and coordinated the necessary support. On the same day, the Chief Minister and his delegation also inspected the site for a planned five-story expansion building at the hospital and discussed related construction arrangements. Once completed, the radiotherapy room will be used to enhance the hospital's medical service capacity for radiotherapy-related care. ...

2026-08-31

Taiwan plans to include small modular reactors and nuclear fusion in new energy exploration

Taiwan's administrative agency head Cho Jung-tai stated on August 26 that, in response to the rapid global development of energy technologies, Taiwan maintains an open attitude toward new nuclear energy technologies and has gradually invested in research and evaluation of directions such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and nuclear fusion. Relevant budgets have been included in discussions, and the central government's general budget for the next fiscal year also plans to allocate funds for engaging with and tracking global nuclear fusion technology progress. Cho Jung-tai stated at a new energy forum that day that, for Taiwan, energy types that have not yet entered large-scale commercial application or whose research and development technologies are still immature can all be regarded as targets for new energy exploration. In addition to technologies such as geothermal, small hydropower, and hydrogen energy, new nuclear energy has also been listed as a direction for future sustained observation and research...

2026-08-31