Chapter 157 CERN Press Conference

After taking the paper and pen from Xu Chuan, Witten began to verify the analytical data on the manuscript.

As a scholar who has won the Fields Medal, he has strong mathematical ability, and it can even be said that no one in the entire physics community has stronger mathematical ability than him.

Since Xu Chuan has completed the data analysis and calculation, it doesn't take him much time to verify these data.

Soon, he completed the verification of the analytical data on the manuscript.

The result is completely correct, and there is no calculation problem with the data on the manuscript.

From this point of view, the result seems obvious.

The traditional 'electron proton scattering atomic charge radius experiment' uses a metal container as an experimental device for the hydrogen atom cloud due to the limitations of the equipment.

It is an indisputable fact that after the high-energy electron beam enters the experimental equipment, it will produce scattering interference with the metal when colliding with the hydrogen atom cloud.

This scattering interference was noticed by physicists at the beginning.

After all, it is interference, and physicists cannot leave such a loophole problem.

Therefore, at the beginning, physicists calculated this scattering interference, but found that the scattering interference generated by the high-energy electron beam and the metal container was very weak, so weak that it would hardly affect the calculation of the proton radius data.

Since there is no effect, this scattering interference has been ignored in subsequent experiments.

However, judging from the analysis data on the manuscript, this scattering interference is not weak, but part of it has been transformed into energy level data.

And the traditional calculation method does not seem to pay attention to this part of the data, so it has caused a certain deviation.

From this point of view, the scattering interference generated by high-energy electron beams and metal containers is indeed stronger than what physicists have calculated in the past, strong enough to affect the proton radius data.

Putting down the ballpoint pen in his hand, Witten stared at the manuscript on the table in a trance.

Judging from the analysis and calculation results, the mystery of the proton radius gap is most likely here.

But a problem that has troubled the physics community for many years and countless people have been studying has been solved just like this?

Is this a bit too fast?

But it seems reasonable to put it on his student?

He has solved a world-class mathematical conjecture problem in the past year. Although the mystery of the proton radius is very famous, from the current data analysis, its difficulty is far less than that of a mathematical conjecture.

If there is an optimized experimental plan, supplemented by excellent data analysis and observation skills, it is not difficult to solve this problem.

The reason why no one has been able to find the problem in the past is the backwardness of experimental equipment and experimental methods, as well as the interference caused by previous erroneous data.

The reason seems simple and has been hidden somewhere, but no one can dig it out.

High-energy physics and particle physics are like this. They are based on various experimental equipment such as particle colliders and accelerators, and the role played by physicists is mainly data analysis.

Theoretical physicists put forward opinions and ideas, perfect them into theories, and various equipment verify them, either affirming or denying them.

Just like the standard model, it is also improved bit by bit through theory + practice.

"Frank, look at this."

Coming back to his senses from the trance, Witten breathed a sigh of relief and handed the manuscript in his hand to Frank Wilczek next to him.

Wilczek took the manuscript with some curiosity and some doubts. He knew that his friend Witten had accepted a student, but he had not heard of any new research projects he had recently.

"The mystery of the proton's radius? When did you change your research direction from string theory to this?"

Glancing at the title on the manuscript, Wilczek looked up curiously at his friend Witten.

He naturally knew about the mystery of the proton's radius, a cutting-edge problem in particle physics, and was also very clear about the importance of this problem.

Witten did not answer directly, but just said: "Read it first."

Hearing this, Wilczek turned his attention back to the manuscript in his hand.

As more and more information entered his eyes, he sat up straight involuntarily.

"0.831 femtometer proton diameter."

"Abnormal energy level data"

"Scattering interference caused by the reaction between high-energy electron beams and metal containers."

Important information quickly formed a line in his mind, connecting the whole cause and effect.

"Interesting, is this your latest research result?"

After flipping through the manuscript in his hand, Wilczek looked at Witten with interest and asked.

"How is it?"

Witten asked.

"This is a great new discovery. Maybe the difference in proton radius is really caused by this problem. And judging from this data, the proton radius is much smaller than our previous calculations."

"I'm just curious. Why did you suddenly start studying this problem? Are you not working on string theory?" Wilczek asked curiously.

Witten shook his head slightly and denied: "This is not my research project."

Hearing this, Wilczek raised the manuscript in his hand and grinned with a look of "Don't try to fool me": "Except for you, I can't think of anyone else in the physics world who has such a profound mathematical foundation."

"Although the calculation process above is not very complicated, the overall fluency is so high that I'm afraid few people in the entire physics world can do it."

Witten smiled and said: "It's really not me this time, and the person who wrote these calculations is standing in front of you."

Wilzek ​​was immediately startled and looked at Xu Chuan in surprise: "Are you sure?"

"certainly."

Witten nodded and continued: "I should have gone back to Princeton more than half a month ago. The reason why I haven't gone back is because I was waiting for this."

"That's really incredible." Wilzek ​​sighed, staring at Xu Chuan again and again.

"I actually didn't expect this problem to be solved."

Witten also sighed, did not continue, looked at Xu Chuan, and asked: "Have you applied for the report meeting?"

"Applying, in three days." Xu Chuan replied.

"Is there enough time? If you rely on these data alone, you may not be able to make a final conclusion. You need more data to verify it."

Xu Chuan: "It should be no problem. I have enough raw data and a project team. They can also help."

"Three days are indeed a bit rushed, but working overtime should be able to produce some verification data."

"In fact, it doesn't matter whether it is definite or not. It is enough to preliminarily verify that the difference in radius of the proton is indeed caused by the scattering interference of the metal container."

"I think the physics community will be very interested in this discovery, and there will definitely be other laboratories that will verify it."

Witten raised his head and said with a smile: "Of course, for such an important discovery, it would be unreasonable if there is no movement in the physics world. But now, you need to be well prepared."

Xu Chuan nodded and said, "Then I won't disturb you and Professor Frank."

Xu Chuan left and the room fell into silence.

After a while, Wilzek ​​suddenly sighed: "It seems that you have accepted a great student."

Witten nodded and said, "Yes, he is even better than I thought."

"A genius who can skillfully apply mathematical tools to physics, maybe he can make up for your regrets."

Hearing this, Witten shrugged and said, "Who knows? He may be more interested in mathematics than physics."

"Want to make a bet? Maybe in our lifetime we can see him win a Fields Medal or a Nobel Prize?"

Suddenly, Wilzek ​​asked enthusiastically.

"That's not necessary."

Witten turned to look at his friend, and then said: "It's hard to say about the Nobel Prize, but the Fields Medal is actually only a matter of time away from him. Even if he can't win the Fields Medal in 2018, By then, there will definitely be a share for him in 2022.”

Hearing this, Wilzek ​​looked at his friend in surprise and asked, "It seems that he has other outstanding mathematical achievements that I don't know about?"

Witten smiled and said: "The most important result in mathematics in the first half of this year, the Weyl-Berry conjecture, was solved by him."

"Although this problem is not very famous, it is no less difficult than the Model Conjecture solved by Faltings. If he were not too young, he would definitely have a place in the Fields Medal two years later."

Wilzek's eyes widened in surprise: "Are you sure you're not kidding me? A mathematical problem comparable to Model's conjecture? If I'm not mistaken, he must be in his early twenties at most, right?"

"No, if I remember correctly, according to that country's age calculation method, he seems to have not yet turned nineteen."

Witten thought for a while and replied that the calendar and age algorithm in that country seemed to be somewhat different from other places.

"Incredible."

"In other words, he solved a world-class mathematical conjecture at the age of eighteen? This is too crazy. Am I crazy, or is the whole world crazy?"

"Who knows." Witten replied, he also couldn't understand his student.

"If that's the case, do you want to make another bet?" Suddenly, Wilzek ​​mentioned the bet again.

"What?" Witten looked over doubtfully.

"I bet he can win both the Fields Medal and the Nobel Prize before we leave this world." Wilczek said with interest: "He may be able to create a new history."

Witten was stunned for a moment and said: "You are really optimistic about him. No one in history has ever won the Nobel Prize and the Fields Medal at the same time. This is too difficult."

Wilzek ​​smiled and said: "It's just because it's difficult that it's more challenging, isn't it?"

Although three days were not enough for Xu Chuan and his project team to complete all data analysis, at least some verification materials had been produced.

These things will play a big role in the report meeting.

Soon, the time for CERN’s project acceptance report meeting came.

On the third day, the report meeting was held as scheduled. The venue was crowded with many physicists.

The mystery of the radius of the proton is still very fascinating.

The inspector sent by CERN sat in the front row, quietly waiting for the report meeting to begin.

Witten and Frank also came to the venue, sitting in the front row and communicating quietly.

Many physicists from China also came. As Xu Chuan's mentor, Chen Zhengping naturally knew about this lecture and could not miss it.

At this moment, he is taking his team to sit together with the team from the University of Science and Technology of China, exchanging the progress and findings of his experimental project.

"Old Cao, how is the situation over there?" In the venue, Chen Zhengping sat together with Academician Cao Hongyuan, who led the team from Hua Science and Technology University.

Cao Hongyuan is a little thin and doesn't look tall, but he looks energetic.

In fact, this is exactly the case. People who are familiar with him or his team members know that their boss is energetic and doesn't look like an old man in his 50s or 60s.

He only sleeps less than six hours a day, and then he can do research as a whole.

Working under him is really hard, but you can also learn a lot.

Hearing the inquiry, Cao Hongyuan shook his head and replied: "The progress is average. Nothing new has been discovered so far, and the research on pentaquark particles has also reached a deadlock."

"What about you? How is the situation over there? I heard that you applied for the Yukawa coupling experiment of the Higgs particle and the third-generation heavy quarks. Is there any good news?"

Hearing this, Chen Zhengping sighed and said: "There is no good news or bad news. From the current experimental data, the Yukawa coupling phenomenon cannot be found in the collision results."

"But the other two universities have not found anything yet, and the situation seems to be deadlocked."

It has been more than a month since the experiment started in mid-July, and there is still no progress in the Yukawa coupling experiment of the Higgs particle and the third-generation heavy quarks.

At first, Chen Zhengping was still very anxious, after all, Georgia Institute of Technology and Australian University were also doing this experimental analysis with Nanjing University.

These two opponents are quite strong. If they cannot produce results in a short time, the value of the collision data will be mined by the other party.

But as time goes by, this anxiety has been relaxed a lot.

More than a month has passed, and not only has Nanjing University not found anything, but the teams of Georgia Institute of Technology and Australian University have also not found anything.

This makes people relax.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this. I heard that the person who convened this report meeting was your student? What is the content?"

Cao Hongyuan skipped this topic and asked while looking at the empty podium. He was pulled here by Chen Zhengping and did not read the invitation manual for the report meeting. He was not very clear about the content of this report meeting.

"Well, Xu Chuan is currently studying in Princeton, following Deligne and Witten. This report meeting is related to the mystery of the proton radius. It should be a new method for calculating the proton radius."

When mentioning Xu Chuan, Chen Zhengping's mouth corners raised a little arc. This student can be said to be the best of all the students he has taught.

"Xu Chuan, I seem to have heard of this name. He seems to be studying mathematics, right?" Cao Hongyuan asked doubtfully.

"Not really, this kid is a double major in mathematics and physics, but his achievements in mathematics are indeed better than physics."

Speaking of this, Chen Zhengping was also a little melancholy.

"Let's not talk about it for now. He's on stage."