Search for Four-Proton resonance states in 12C12C collisions at 3.37 a GeV

The new experimental data on the search for and study of the formation of a possible four-proton resonant state in the target carbon nucleus fragmentation region in [Formula: see text]C[Formula: see text]C collisions at projectile carbon kinetic energy of 3.37 GeV per nucleon have been presented. Peak structures with centers at M(pppp) [Formula: see text] 3890[Formula: see text]MeV, M(pppp) [Formula: see text] 3920[Formula: see text]MeV have been observed with statistical significance greater than 4 sigma (standard deviations) in the experimental invariant mass distribution of four-protons in [Formula: see text]C[Formula: see text]C collision events with five or more protons in the final state. The mass widths of these four-proton resonance states proved to be practically the same, equaling (1.3 [Formula: see text] 0.6)[Formula: see text]MeV and (1.2 [Formula: see text] 0.6)[Formula: see text]MeV, being close to the mass width obtained for the three-proton resonance state (2.1 [Formula: see text] 0.8)[Formula: see text]MeV in the recent work. Interpretation for the possible mechanism of formation of four-proton resonance state has been given.