J/ψ Mesons

The J/ψ meson is a type of subatomic particle, specifically a meson, composed of a charm quark and its antiparticle, the charm antiquark. It is about 3 times heavier than a proton and is important in particle physics because its discovery provided strong evidence for the existence of quarks, which are the fundamental building blocks of matter. J/ψ mesons are unstable, decaying into lighter particles quickly, and are typically produced in high-energy experiments like particle accelerators. Studying them helps scientists understand the strong nuclear force, one of the fundamental forces that holds atomic nuclei together.