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In the search for a treasure, some indications about its location are usually quite helpful. Precisely under such circumstances the light scalar higgses have been spotted. Namely, in a unique model for strong interactions two constants of nature had been observed. |
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One is the internal frequency of motion which happens to be the same for all systems that consist of one quark and one antiquark, whereas the other is the quantum that leads to the disintegration of such systems. |
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Already since three decades the existence of those two constants of nature had been known to those who are familiar with the above mentioned model for strong interactions. However, it was difficult to undisputably extract them from the available experimental results. Actually, when clear experimental indications for the constant frequency came up, the related experimental facility was closed and the data not further analysed |
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The disintegration quantum must be responsible for quark-pair creation with quantum numbers of the vacuum. Hence, it should be a scalar. In the above mentioned model for strong interactions its mass was determined at about 30-40 MeV. On top of that, interference effects were observed which could be explained by the exchange of a quantum of about 38 MeV. |
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Consequently, the search was concentrating on a scalar particle with a mass of about 38 MeV. Indications for the creation of a fifth particle with such quantum numbers and mass were found in results of the BABAR experiment in which an electron and a positron are collided at a total energy of about 10 GeV and in which those processes were studied that in the final state contain four particles, namely a pair of pions and a pair of leptons, either electron-positron, or two muons. Furthermore, two replicas were discovered. |
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This finding is rather unexpected and has a very small signal. So, it is necessary to await confirmations from further experiments before we can be sure about its existence, a tantalizing situation which may last for several years. Finally, it should be stressed that the above mentioned model for strong interactions has played an essential role in the possible discovery of the light scalar higgses. |
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