J/ψ Meson

The J/ψ meson is a tiny, short-lived particle made of a charm quark and an anti-charm quark bound together. It was discovered in 1974 and was crucial in confirming the existence of charm quarks, expanding our understanding of matter’s fundamental building blocks. As a meson, it’s part of a family of particles that mediate strong forces within atomic nuclei, but it exists briefly before decaying into lighter particles. Studying the J/ψ meson helps physicists explore the strong nuclear force and the behavior of quarks, contributing to our deeper knowledge of the universe’s fundamental structure.