Gluons at the Speed of Light (IMAGE) DOE/Brookhaven National Laboratory Caption Gluons are always popping in and out of existence like blinking fireflies. But when nuclei or protons are accelerated to high energies, the gluons inside appear to multiply. That's because time operates in weird ways near the speed of light. The "blinking" appears to slow down, which makes the gluons linger longer. Energetic particle collisions can help physicists study this gluon-dominated state and, guided by new approaches to nuclear theory, search for signs of gluon saturation. Credit Brookhaven National Laboratory Usage Restrictions OK for use with stories about this research. License Original content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.