Physics: Principles with Applications (7th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0-32162-592-7
ISBN 13: 978-0-32162-592-2

Chapter 32 - Elementary Particles - Questions - Page 943: 17

Answer

No, it is impossible to find particles made up of 2 quarks and no antiquarks. Yes, it would be possible for a particle to be made of 2 quarks and 2 antiquarks, using the ideas of QCD.

Work Step by Step

No, it is impossible to find particles made up of 2 quarks and no antiquarks. As stated on page 936, using the ideas of quantum chromodynamics (QCD), baryons and mesons are colorless/white. There are 3 types of “color charge”, so a particle containing only two quarks would have a particular color, and not be colorless. It is required to have three quarks (of three different colors) or a quark–antiquark pair for a particle to be colorless/white. Yes, it would be possible for a particle to be made of 2 quarks and 2 antiquarks, using the ideas of QCD. The colors could cancel, and the resulting particle could be white or colorless. Such a particle, the $Z_C(3900)$, was discovered in 2013.
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