In a January 2023 publication by nuclear theory postdoctoral fellow Jennifer Rittenhouse West, a quantum chromodynamics (QCD) bond between quarks from different nucleons is proposed as the cause of short-range correlated pairs in nuclei – a fundamental particle physics explanation for roughly 20% of nuclear structure.

Diquarks in Nuclei: A Quantum Chromodynamics Basis for nearly 20% of Nuclear Structure
January 2, 2023 / Berkeley Lab Nuclear Science Division News