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Spinning in Another Direction

Photo of siberian snake magnets

Special magnets with a corkscrew-like design, known as Siberian Snakes, regularly flip the spins of protons during RHIC spin experiments to keep the protons in the beam aligned, or polarized.

In addition to investigating the primordial properties of the universe, RHIC scientists are looking into another fundamental question of particle physics: What is responsible for proton “spin”? A magnetic property of particles as basic as mass and electrical charge, spin is a particle’s intrinsic angular momentum. Using specialized magnets known as Siberian Snakes to keep the spins of protons aligned, physicists at RHIC can collide beams of these “polarized protons” to examine the structure underlying the proton’s spin. This research will address a decades-old mystery about what constituents or dynamics inside the proton account for its spin. RHIC is a unique tool for attacking this deep puzzle and the answers will provide important new insights into the structure and interactions of subatomic particles.

 

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One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE’s Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit, applied science and technology organization.