Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Quantum Zoo

Here is a handy diagram I made of the quantum zoo from the Standard Model.  It doesn't include the two heavier "generations" of the massive particles (quarks, electrons, neutrinos).


e: electron (electromagnetism) (-90°)
v: neutrino (weak force)
y: photon (electromagnetism)
g: gluon (strong force) (holds quarks together)
u: up quark (nucleus, strong force, electromagnetism) (+60°)
d: down quark (nucleus, strong force, electromagnetism) (-30°)
W: W boson (electroweak force) (nuclear decay) (translates charge rotation) (± 90°)
Z: Z boson (weak force) (repels neutrinos)
H: Higgs boson (mass)

blue: matter
red: antimatter
green: force carrier

Note that particle decay involves a 90 degree shift (along with a spin reversal), and anti-particles are 180 degrees apart.



Pions are a type of composite particle made of a quark and its antiquark.  They don't last long, but transmit the strong nuclear force to hold the nucleus together.

In this chart, "Q" is electric charge and "T" is my designation for what I call "chrono charge".  Positive is matter, negative is antimatter, zero is neutral.  Chrono charge replaces both lepton number and baryon number, and works better for most purposes.  Chrono charge, like electric charge, is conserved, and must be an integer in a composite particle.  Note that T + Q is always an integer - the definition of quantization.

1 comment:

  1. You were most fortunate in the gene lottery. Nice knowing you. A little from afar. I hope you make a difference pre/post shit show.

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