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Scientists at the RBRC are pursuing this ultimate question of modern physics to understand the origin of matter and the universe. Their goal is to establish a new field of physics by coordinating theoretical and experimental research.</span></div> <div id="doeLogoContainer"> <a id="doeLogoLink" title="DOE Office of Science" href="http://science.energy.gov/"> <img class="DOElogo black" title="DOE Office of Science" src="/assets/global/images/logo-doe-black-200px.png" /> <img class="DOElogo white" title="DOE Office of Science" src="/assets/global/images/logo-doe-white-500px.png" /> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container_24" id="siteMenuContainer"> <div class="grid_24"> <ul id="siteMenu"> <li><a href="/riken/">Home</a> <li><a href="/riken/about.php">About</a> <li><a href="/riken/groups.php">Groups</a> <li><a href="#">Research Areas</a> <ul> <li><a href="/riken/research/qcd.php">Quantum Chromodynamics</a></li> <li><a href="/riken/research/spin.php">Spin Physics</a></li> <li><a href="/riken/research/lattice.php">Lattice QCD</a></li> <li><a href="/riken/research/qgp.php">Physics of QGP</a></li> </ul> <li><a href="/riken/proceedings.php">Proceedings</a> <li><a target="_new" href="/riken/rbrc-org-chart.pdf">Organization Chart (PDF)</a> <li><a href="/riken/history.php">History</a> <li><a href="/riken/alumni.php">Alumni</a> <li><a href="/riken/contact.php">Contact</a> </ul> </div> </div>  <div id="subStripe"> <div class="container_24"> <div class="grid_24"> <h1>Spin Physics</h1> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container_24"> <div class="grid_15 suffix_1"> <p>Although protons and neutrons do not seem to have any "direction," they actually do. The "direction" is determined by the rotation on its axis. We can define left and right by using this rotation. The rotation of an elementary particle is called "spin."</p> <div class="image-30"> <img alt="spin diagram" src="../images/spin-physics-300px.jpg"> </div> <p>Laws of nature had been believed to be symmetric with respect to "left" and "right." In other words, the physical laws in a mirror world are thought to be the same as in our world.</p> <p>In 1956 Professor. T.D. Lee of Columbia University, the Director Emeritus of RIKEN BNL Research Center, published a shocking prediction of the possibility that the mirror world might be different from ours. This was immediately verified through experiments, and Prof. Lee was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics the following year together with Prof. C.N. Yang of the  State University of New York at Stony Brook. In this confirmation experiment, “spinning” nuclei were used to distinguish “left” and “right” in order to reveal that the mirror world is not the same as the world we live in.</p> <p>As this example suggests, spin plays an important role in determining “left” and “right” in space.</p> <p>The nucleon consists of three quarks and gluons which glue the quarks together. Various properties of the nucleon have been explained by the properties of quarks. </p> <p>For example, a proton’s electric charge (+1) is explained by means of the sum of 2 up quarks with +2/3 of electric charge and 1 down quark with -1/3. It has been generally accepted that the proton’s spin could be naturally explained by quark spin. However, experiments conducted at the European Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics (Conseil Europeen pour la Recherché Nucleaire, CERN) in the later 1980s showed that the total of quark spins was less than the total spins of protons. This was called “the proton spin crisis,” and was an event in modern particle and nuclear physics. Therefore, it is important to solve the puzzle of “What is carrying the remaining spin?”.</p> <p>Research on spin at the RIKEN BNL Research Center (RBRC) includes a theoretical computation process called Perturbative QCD by means of a reliable computing method. Also, RBRC’s researchers aim to experimentally measure the spins, especially those of gluons, so that they may achieve a more detailed understanding of the nucleon structure. </p> </div> <div class="grid_8"> <div class="boundingBox"><h2>RBRC Research Areas</h2> <ul class="articleSummaries"> <li> <a href="qcd.php" > <div class="thumbnail"> <img src="../images/qcd-110px.gif" alt="QCD image" /> </div> <h3>Quantum Chromodynamics</h3> <p>Research into phenomena caused by the Strong Force</p> </a> <div class="clear"></div> <li> <a href="spin.php" > <div class="thumbnail"> <img src="../images/spin-110px.gif" alt="spin physics image" /> </div> <h3>Spin Physics</h3> <p>Experimental attempts to measure quark and gluon spin and their distribution with the nucleon</p> </a> <div class="clear"></div> <li> <a href="lattice.php" > <div class="thumbnail"> <img src="../images/lattice-110px.gif" alt="lattice QCD image" /> </div> <h3>Lattice QCD</h3> <p>A theoretical method to investigate the dynamics of QCD</p> </a> <div class="clear"></div> <li> <a href="qgp.php" > <div class="thumbnail"> <img src="../images/qgp-110px.gif" alt="QGP image" /> </div> <h3>Physics of QGP</h3> <p>Elucidating the nature of a form of matter called quark gluon plasma</p> </a> <div class="clear"></div> </ul> </div> <div class="sidebar"> <h3>About RBRC</h3> <p>How was matter formed after the Big Bang? Scientists at the RIKEN BNL Research Center are pursuing this ultimate question of modern physics to understand the origin of matter and the universe. Their goal is to establish a new field of physics by coordinating theoretical and experimental research.</p> </div> </div>  </div> </div> <div id="topOfPage"><span class="fa fa-chevron-circle-up fa-lg topOfPageTrigger"></span></div> <div class="footer" id="footer" > <div class="container_24"> <div class="grid_6"> <h3 id="BNL">Brookhaven National Laboratory</h3> <p>PO Box 5000<br/> Upton, NY 11973-5000<br/> (631) 344-8000</p> <p><a id="contactUs" class="extrasmall white button" href="https://www.bnl.gov/contact-us/">Contact us</a></p> <ul class="socialMediaIcons"> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/BrookhavenLab" title="Follow Us on 𝕏"><i class="fa-brands fa-square-x-twitter fa-2x"></i></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/brookhavenlab" title="Follow Us on Facebook"><span class="fa fa-facebook-square fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/brookhavenlab/" title="Follow Us on Instagram"><span class="fa fa-instagram fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/brookhavenlab/" title="Follow Us on LinkedIn"><span class="fa fa-linkedin-square fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/BrookhavenLab" title="Follow Us on YouTube"><span class="fa fa-youtube-square fa-2x"></span></a> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.flickr.com/brookhavenlab/" title="Follow Us on Flickr"><span class="fa fa-flickr fa-2x"></span></a> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_3"> <ul class="linkList2"> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/science/">Our Science</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/">About</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/history/">History</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/org/">Leadership</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/visiting/">Visiting the Lab</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/siteindex/">Site Index</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/directory/">Staff Directory</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_3"> <ul class="linkList2"> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://jobs.bnl.gov/">Careers</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/science/facilities.php">Facilities</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/guv/">Guest Center</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/partner/">Partnerships</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/ppm/">For Vendors</a></li> <li><a id="deptLink" href="javascript:void(0);">Departments</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/visiting/events/">Public Events</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_4"> <ul class="linkList2 lastList"> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/diversity/">Diversity, Equity & Inclusion</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/techtransfer/">Technology Licensing</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/externalaffairs/">Stakeholder Relations</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/education/">Students & Educators</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/about/sustainability/">Sustainability</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.bnl.gov/privacy/">Privacy and Security Notice</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="https://doe.responsibledisclosure.com/hc/en-us">Vulnerability Disclosure Program</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="grid_7 prefix_1"> <h3 id="BSA">Brookhaven Science Associates</h3> <p>Brookhaven Science Associates manages and operates Brookhaven National Laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. 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BNL | RIKEN BNL Research Center | Spin Physics