Elementary and Subatomic
Particles: Unveiling the Building
Blocks of Matter
Welcome to a journey into the heart of matter. This presentation explores the
fundamental constituents of the universe, from the well-established elementary
particles to the more complex subatomic structures. We will briefly overview the
Standard Model of particle physics, highlighting its successes and limitations.
Understanding these particles is crucial for modern physics and technology,
impacting fields from medicine to materials science. We will touch upon the
Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, a powerful tool used to study these
particles.
Join us as we delve into the classification, properties, and applications of these
essential building blocks, uncovering the mysteries of the cosmos at its smallest
scales.
Classification: Elementary Particles
Elementary particles are defined as particles with no known sub-structure; they are the fundamental building blocks of matter and
forces. These particles are categorized into two main groups: fermions and bosons.
Fermions Bosons
Fermions are matter particles, divided into quarks and leptons. Bosons are force carrier particles, including gluons (strong
Quarks include up (+2/3 charge), down (-1/3 charge), charm, force, 8 types), photons (electromagnetic force, massless), W
strange, top, and bottom, each carrying a color charge (red, and Z bosons (weak force, ~80-90 GeV), and the Higgs boson
green, or blue). (mass, 125 GeV).
Leptons consist of the electron (-1 charge), muon, tau, and their corresponding neutrinos (0 charge). These elementary particles
form the basis of all known matter and interactions.
Properties of Quarks
Quarks possess unique properties that govern their behavior. They have fractional electric
charges of ±1/3 or ±2/3 and carry a color charge: red, green, or blue (and their
corresponding anti-colors).
Confinement
Quarks are never observed in isolation; they are always confined within
composite particles called hadrons.
Baryons
Baryons are composed of three quarks (e.g., protons (938 MeV) and
neutrons (940 MeV)).
Mesons
Mesons are composed of a quark and an antiquark (e.g., pions (~140 MeV)
and kaons).
Quark-antiquark annihilation results in the release of energy, as described by E=mc². These
interactions define the structure and behavior of hadrons.
Properties of Leptons
Leptons, another class of elementary particles, have integer electric charges of 0 or ±1 and do not
carry color charge. As a result, they do not interact via the strong force.
Electron
Charge -1, mass 0.511 MeV.
Muon
Charge -1, mass 105.7 MeV.
Tau
Charge -1, mass 1777 MeV.
Neutrinos
(electron, muon, tau): nearly massless, neutral.
Leptons interact via the weak force and, if charged, via the electromagnetic force. Neutrino
oscillation demonstrates that neutrinos, once thought to be massless, do have mass.
Force Carrier Particles
Force carrier particles, or bosons, have integer spin (1 for gluons, photons, W and Z bosons; 0
for the Higgs boson). These particles mediate the fundamental forces of nature.
Gluons
Mediate the strong force, binding quarks together within hadrons.
Photons
Mediate the electromagnetic force, governing interactions between charged particles.
W and Z Bosons
Mediate the weak force, responsible for radioactive decay.
Higgs Boson
Associated with the Higgs field, responsible for the mass of other particles.
The range of these forces varies: massless bosons like photons have infinite range, while
massive bosons like W and Z have short-range interactions.
Subatomic Particles: Hadrons
Hadrons are composite particles made of quarks held together by the strong force. They are
classified into baryons (three quarks) and mesons (quark-antiquark pair).
1 Baryons
Examples include the proton (uud, positive charge, stable, lifetime > 10^30
years) and neutron (udd, neutral charge, unstable outside the nucleus, decays
in ~15 minutes).
2 Mesons
Examples include pions (lightest mesons, mediate the strong force in atomic
nuclei) and kaons (contain a strange quark, heavier than pions).
3 Exotic Hadrons
More recently, exotic hadrons like tetraquarks (qq̅ qq̅ ) and pentaquarks (qqqq̅ q)
have been observed.
The study of hadrons provides insights into the complex dynamics of the strong force.
Properties of Hadrons
Hadrons exhibit several key properties. They have integer electric charges (0, ±1, ±2, etc.) and their mass depends on the constituent quarks and
their binding energy.
Decay
2 Unstable hadrons decay into lighter
particles.
Strong Force
1
Hadrons experience the strong force,
which governs their interactions.
Magnetic Moment
Protons and neutrons possess magnetic
3 moments.
For example, the Lambda baryon (Λ) decays into a proton and a pion. These properties are essential for understanding hadron behavior and
interactions.
Applications and Future Directions
The study of elementary and subatomic particles has diverse applications. In medicine, particle
therapy utilizes protons and carbon ions for cancer treatment. Semiconductor devices rely on
understanding electron behavior for technological advancements.
30% 4
Proton Therapy Fundamental Forces
Higher dose to tumors, less radiation to healthy Electromagnetic, weak, strong and gravitational
tissues
95%
Visible Universe
The percentage that normal matter comprises of
the entire universe
Future research will explore dark matter and dark energy using advanced particle detectors.
Unsolved problems remain, including neutrino masses, matter-antimatter asymmetry, and the
unification of forces. These areas drive ongoing research and exploration in particle physics.
