After receiving the pen and paper from Xu Chuan's hand, Witten began to check the analysis data on the manuscript paper.

As a scholar who has won the Fields Medal, he has strong mathematical ability, and it can even be said that no one in the entire physics community is more mathematical than him.

With Xu Chuan already completing the data analysis and calculations, it would not take him much time to check the data.

In no time, he was able to check the analytical data on the manuscript paper.

The results are completely correct, and there are no calculation problems with these data on the manuscript paper.

From this, the results seem obvious.

Due to the limitations of the equipment, the traditional 'electron-proton scattering atomic charge radius experiment' uses a metal container as an experimental setup for hydrogen atom clouds.

It is an indisputable fact that after the high-energy electron beam enters the experimental equipment, it will scatter and interfere with the metal when it collides with the cloud of hydrogen atoms.

This scattering interference was noticed by physicists at the very beginning.

After all, it is interference, and it is impossible for physicists to leave such a loophole problem.

So physicists calculated this scattering interference at the beginning, but found that the scattering interference from the high-energy electron beam and the metal container was so weak that it hardly affected the calculation of the radius data of the protons.

Since there is no effect, this kind of scattering interference has been ignored in the later experiments.

However, judging from the analysis data on the manuscript paper, this scattering interference is not weak, but some of the interference is converted into energy level data.

This part of the data does not seem to be noticed by traditional calculation methods, so it causes a certain deviation.

From this point of view, the scattering interference produced by the high-energy electron beam and the metal container is indeed stronger than previously calculated by physicists, and strong enough to have an impact on the radius data of protons.

......

Putting down the ballpoint pen in his hand, Witten stared at the manuscript paper on the table in a daze.

Judging from the results of the analysis and calculation, the mystery of the proton radius gap is most likely here.

But a problem that has plagued the physics community for many years and has been studied by countless people has been solved in this way?

Isn't that a little too fast?

But when it comes to his own student, it seems that it can be said to be reasonable?

In the past year, he has solved a world-class mathematical conjecture puzzle, and although the proton radius puzzle is famous, it is far less difficult than the mathematical conjecture from the current data analysis.

If there is an optimized experimental protocol, supplemented by excellent data analysis and observation skills, it is not difficult to solve this problem.

In the past, no one could find the cause of the problem, which was the backwardness of the experimental equipment and methods, as well as the interference caused by the erroneous data in the past.

The reason seems simple, it has been hidden all along, but no one has been able to dig it out.

This is the case of high-energy physics and particle physics, which are based on various particle colliders, accelerators and other experimental equipment, and the role of physicists in them is basically based on data analysis.

Theoretical physicists come up with ideas and ideas that are refined into theories, and various devices verify them, either affirming or denying.

Just like the Standard Model, it is also refined little by little through theory + practice.

.......

"Frank, look at this."

Coming back from his sudden, Witten breathed a sigh of relief and handed the manuscript paper to Frank Wilzek on the side.

Wilzek took the paper with some curiosity and some confusion, he knew that his friend Witten had taken in a student, but he had not heard of any new research projects he had recently.

"The mystery of the radius of the proton? When did you change your research direction from string theory to this aspect? ”

Glancing at the title on the manuscript paper, Wilzek looked up curiously at his friend Witten.

He naturally knows the mystery of the proton radius, a frontier problem in particle physics, and he is well aware of the weight of this problem.

Witten didn't answer directly, but said, "Read it first." ”

Hearing this, Wilzek refocused his attention on the manuscript paper in his hand.

As more and more information came into his eyes, he couldn't help but sit up straight.

"0.831 femtom proton diameter ......"

"Abnormal Energy Level Data ......"

"Scattering Interference ........ Caused by the Reaction of a High-Energy Electron Beam with a Metal Container"

Pieces of important information quickly strung together in his mind, linking the entire cause and effect.

"Interesting, is this your latest research?"

After flipping through the manuscript materials in his hand, Wilzek looked at Witten with interest and asked.

"How?"

Witten asked.

"It's a great new discovery, maybe the difference in the radius of the protons is really caused by this problem, and from this data, the radius of the protons is much smaller than our previous calculations."

"It's just that I'm curious, why did you suddenly study this problem, and you don't do string theory?" Wilzek asked curiously.

Witten shook his head slightly and denied, "This is not my research project. ”

Hearing this, Wilzek raised the manuscript materials in his hand, and grinned with a look that you don't want to fool: "Apart from you, I can't think of anyone else in the physics world who has such a high level of mathematical skills." ”

"Although the calculation process is not very complicated, the overall fluency is so high that I am afraid that few people in the entire physics community can do it."

Witten smiled and said, "It's really not me this time, and the person who wrote these calculations is standing right in front of you." ”

Wilzek was immediately startled and looked at Xu Chuan in surprise: "Are you sure?" ”

"Of course."

Witten nodded, and continued: "I was supposed to go back to Princeton more than half a month ago, and the reason why I haven't been back is because I'm waiting for this." ”

"That's incredible." Wilzek sighed, staring at Xu Chuan after another.

"I didn't actually think that this problem would be solved."

Witten also sighed, didn't continue, looked at Xu Chuan, and asked, "Is the report going to apply?" ”

"Did, in three days." Xu Chuan replied.

"Is that in time? If you rely on this data alone, I am afraid that you will not be able to make a conclusive conclusion, and you will need more data to verify it. ”

Xu Chuan: "It should be no problem, I have enough raw data in my hands, and there is a project team, and they can also help." ”

"Three days is a bit rushed, but the overtime should be able to make some of the verification data."

"In fact, it doesn't matter much if the theory is inconclusive, as long as it is preliminarily verified that the radius difference of the protons is indeed caused by the scattering interference of the metal container."

"Presumably, the physics community will be very interested in this discovery, and there will definitely be other laboratories to verify it."

Witten raised his head and said with a smile: "Then sure, such a major discovery, if there is no movement in the physics world, it will be too much to say." But for now, you need to prepare. ”

Xu Chuan nodded and said, "Then I won't bother you and Professor Frank." ”

.......

Xu Chuan left, and the room fell silent.

After half a ring, Wilzek suddenly sighed: "It seems that you have taken in a great student." ”

Witten nodded and said, "yes, he's even better than I thought." ”

"A genius who can skillfully apply mathematical tools to physics, maybe he can make up for your regrets."

Hearing this, Witten shrugged his shoulders and said, "Who knows? His interest in mathematics may be higher than in physics. ”

"Want to make a bet? Maybe in your lifetime we can see him win a Fields Medal or a Nobel Prize? ”

Suddenly, Wilzek asked with great interest.

"This doesn't have to be."

Witten turned his head to look at his friend, and continued: "It's hard to say about the Nobel Prize, but the Fields Medal, it's actually only a matter of time before he is away, even if he can't win the Fields Medal in 18 years, he will definitely have a share in 22 years." ”

Hearing this, Wilzek looked at his friend in surprise and asked, "It seems that he has other outstanding mathematical achievements that I don't know about?" ”

Witten smiled and said, "The most important achievement in mathematics in the first half of this year, the Weyl-Berry conjecture was solved by him. ”

"This problem, although not very well-known, is no less difficult than Faltins's modder conjecture. If it weren't for the fact that he was too young, there would have been a place for him at the Fields Medal two years later. ”

Wilzek's eyes widened in surprise: "Are you sure you're not kidding me?" A mathematical puzzle comparable to Modell's conjecture? If I'm not mistaken, he's in his early twenties at most, right? ”

"No, if I'm not mistaken, he doesn't seem to be nineteen years old according to the country's age calculation method."

Witten thought for a moment and replied that the calendar and age algorithm of that country seemed to be a little different from other places.

"Incredible."

That is, he solved a world-class mathematical conjecture at the age of eighteen? It's crazy, am I crazy, or the whole world is crazy. ”

"Who knows." Witten replied that he couldn't understand his student as well.

"If that's the case, do you want to make another bet?" Suddenly, Wilzek brought up the bet again.

"What?" Witten looked at him suspiciously.

"I'm betting he'll win both the Fields Medal and the Nobel Prize before we leave this world." Wilzek said with interest: "He may be able to make a new history. ”

Witten was stunned for a moment and said: "You are really optimistic about him, no one in history has ever won the Nobel Prize and the Fields Medal at the same time, this is too difficult." ”

Wilzek smiled and said, "It's because it's difficult, it's more challenging, isn't it?" ”

......

Three days was not enough time for Xu Chuan and his project team to complete all the data analysis, but at least some of the verification materials had been made.

These things will play a major role in the briefing.

Soon, the time for the project acceptance report meeting will come.

On the third day, the report meeting was held as scheduled, and there were many physicists who came to attend the report meeting.

The question of the proton's radius mystery is still fascinating.

The inspectors sent sat in the first row, quietly waiting for the start of the report meeting.

Witten and Frank also came to the venue, sitting in the front row and whispering.

There are also a lot of physicists from Huaguo, and as Xu Chuan's mentor, Chen Zhengping naturally knows that this report will not be absent.

At this moment, he sat with his team and the team of China University of Science and Technology to exchange the progress and findings of his experimental project.

"Lao Cao, how is the situation on your side?" In the venue, Chen Zhengping and Academician Cao Hongyuan, led by China University of Science and Technology, sat together.

Cao Hongyuan's figure is a little thin and he doesn't look tall, but the whole person looks full of energy.

In fact, those who know him well or the members of his team know that his boss is not at all like an old man in his fifties and in his sixties.

I only slept less than six hours a day, and then I was able to do research as a whole.

Working under him is really hard work, but you can also learn a lot.

Hearing the inquiry, Cao Hongyuan shook his head and replied: "The progress is average, nothing new has been discovered yet, and the research on the five quark particles has also reached an impasse. ”

"What about you? What's the situation on your side, I heard that you applied for the Yukawa coupling experiment of the Higgs particle and the third-generation heavy quark, is there any good news? ”

Hearing this, Chen Zhengping sighed and said, "There is no good news and no bad news, judging from the current experimental data, the Tangchuan coupling phenomenon cannot be found in the collision results." ”

"But the other two universities have not found much at the moment, and the situation seems to be at an impasse."

More than a month has passed since the experiment began in mid-July, and there is still no progress in the Yukawa coupling experiment of the Higgs particle and the third-generation heavy quark.

At first, Chen Zhengping was still very anxious, after all, there were also Zuozhiya Institute of Technology and Australian University that did this experimental analysis with NTU.

Both opponents are quite strong, and if they can't produce results in a short period of time, the value in the collision data will be mined by the opponent.

But as time went on, the anxiety eased a lot.

More than a month has passed, and not only NTU has found nothing, but also the teams from the two universities of Zuozhiya Institute of Technology and Australian University have not found anything.

It's relaxing.

"Forget it, let's not talk about this, I heard that the organizer of this report meeting is your student? What is the content? ”

Cao Hongyuan skipped this topic, looked at the still empty podium and asked, he was pulled over by Chen Zhengping, and he didn't read the invitation manual for the report meeting, so he didn't know the content of the report meeting.

"Well, Xu Chuan, currently studying at Princeton, following Deligne and Witten, this report will be related to the mystery of the proton radius, and it should be a new method for calculating the proton radius."

Speaking of Xu Chuan, the corners of Chen Zhengping's mouth hooked up a hint of arc, this student can be said to be the most outstanding of all the students he has bred.

"Xu Chuan, I seem to have heard of him by this name, it seems that he studied mathematics, right?" Cao Hongyuan asked suspiciously.

"Not really, this kid has a double major in mathematics and physics, but his achievements in mathematics are indeed better than physics."

Speaking of this, Chen Zhengping was also a little melancholy.

"Let's not talk about it yet, he's on stage."

.........