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CMS Team Uncovers Quark Wake in Early Universe Plasma

2/19/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) team at the Large Hadron Collider found evidence of a wake from quarks moving through quark-gluon plasma.
They observed a less-than-1% suppression in particle production behind a high-energy quark, signaling energy transfer to the plasma.
The wake arises in a state believed to exist after the Big Bang.
The study, published in Physics Letters B, marks a significant step and points to further research.

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Story summary

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) team at the Large Hadron Collider found evidence of a wake from quarks moving through quark-gluon plasma.
They observed a less-than-1% suppression in particle production behind a high-energy quark, signaling energy transfer to the plasma.
The wake arises in a state believed to exist after the Big Bang.
The study, published in Physics Letters B, marks a significant step and points to further research.