protonthe
Protonthe is a hypothetical elementary particle proposed in certain speculative extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics. In these frameworks, Protonthe would act as a mediator for a new short-range interaction, potentially arising from a hidden gauge symmetry. The name combines the prefix proto-, meaning first or primary, with the suffix -the, a convention referring to a theoretical particle. The term was coined in debates about physics beyond the Standard Model.
The particle is described as a possible gauge boson or composite state that couples only weakly to
Experimental status is unsettled. No confirmed detection has emerged, but a broad program of searches—collider experiments,
See also: dark photon, hidden sector, portal interaction, new gauge boson, millicharged particle.