Unveiling the Building
Blocks: An Introduction
to Particle Physics
Welcome to the world of particle physics, where we explore the
universe's most fundamental constituents and forces. This
presentation will journey into the heart of matter, starting with the
Standard Model—our current best understanding of these particles
and forces.
We'll differentiate between elementary and composite particles,
uncovering the nature of subatomic entities like protons, neutrons,
and electrons. A brief historical context will highlight milestones in
particle discovery. Join us as we delve into the fascinating realm of
particle physics.
Elementary Particles:
Fermions
Fermions are fundamental particles that constitute matter. The first type of fermion is quarks. These fundamental
building blocks of hadrons come in six flavors: up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom, each with a
corresponding antiparticle. They possess fractional electric charges, for example, up quark (+2/3) and down quark (-
1/3).
Leptons, the second type of fermion, do not experience the strong force. There are six types: the electron, muon,
tau, and their corresponding neutrinos, with matching antiparticles. Electrons have a mass of 0.511 MeV/c², muons
105.7 MeV/c², and taus 1777 MeV/c². Neutrinos are nearly massless and electrically neutral.
Quarks Leptons
• Up • Electron
• Down • Muon
• Charm • Tau
Elementary Particles:
Bosons
Bosons are force carriers, mediating the fundamental forces of nature. First is the photon (γ) which carries the
electromagnetic force. It is massless and travels at the speed of light (299,792,458 m/s).
Next is the gluon (g) which carries the strong force, binding quarks together in hadrons. It is also massless and
comes in eight different color charges. W and Z Bosons carry the weak force, responsible for radioactive decay. W
bosons have a mass of 80.4 GeV/c², and Z bosons 91.2 GeV/c². Finally, the Higgs Boson (H) is associated with the
Higgs field, giving particles mass. It has a mass of 125 GeV/c² and was discovered at the LHC in 2012.
Photon Gluon W and Z bosons
Electromagnetic Force Strong Force Weak Force
Composite Particles:
Hadrons
Hadrons are composite particles made of quarks, held together by the strong force. Baryons are hadrons composed of three quarks.
Protons (uud) have a mass of 938.3 MeV/c² and a positive charge (+1e). Neutrons (udd) have a mass of 939.6 MeV/c² and a neutral
charge (0e).
Mesons are hadrons composed of a quark and an antiquark. Pions (π+, π-, π0) have masses around 140 MeV/c². Hadrons are not
fundamental particles; instead, they are combinations of quarks bound together.
Baryons Mesons
Properties: Mass and
Energy
Mass and energy are intrinsically linked through mass-energy
equivalence: E=mc², Einstein's famous equation. This equation
dictates that mass can be converted into energy and vice versa.
The electron-volt (eV) is a unit of energy commonly used in particle
physics, where 1 eV = 1.602 x 10⁻¹⁹ Joules. Mass measurement is
achieved using particle colliders and detectors, where scientists
can precisely determine the mass of newly discovered or known
particles.
Mass-Energy
Equivalence
Electron-Volt (eV)
Mass
Measurement
Properties:
Charge
Electric charge is a quantized property, measured in multiples of
the elementary charge (e), where e = 1.602 x 10⁻¹⁹ Coulombs.
Color charge is a property of quarks and gluons related to the
strong force. There are three types: red, green, blue (and their
corresponding anti-colors).
Color confinement dictates that hadrons must be color-neutral, or
white. Electric charge determines how particles interact
electromagnetically, while color charge dictates how quarks and
gluons bind together to form hadrons. The rules of color charge
explain why we never observe a free quark.
Electric Charge Color Charge
Properties: Spin
Spin is the intrinsic angular momentum, a quantum property of
particles. Fermions have half-integer spin (1/2, 3/2, etc.), while
bosons have integer spin (0, 1, 2, etc.). This has several important
implications.
The spin statistics theorem states that fermions obey Fermi-Dirac
statistics, while bosons obey Bose-Einstein statistics. Spin is a
fundamental quantum number that determines how particles behave
under rotations. It also dictates how many identical particles can
occupy the same quantum state.
Fermions
Half-integer spin
Bosons
Integer spin
Properties: Decay and
Lifetime
Many particles are unstable and decay into other particles. Lifetime is the average time a particle exists before decaying. Decay
processes are governed by the fundamental forces. Weak force decays result in slower lifetimes, such as muon decay, while
electromagnetic decays result in faster lifetimes, like excited atomic states.
The lifetime can vary dramatically depending on the nature of the decay process. For example, a muon has a lifetime of ~2.2
microseconds, while a neutral pion has a lifetime of ~8.4x10^-17 seconds. Particle lifetimes are measured experimentally using
particle detectors and colliders.
Forces
1 Governed by fundamental
forces.
Lifetime
2 Average time before
decaying.
Unstable
3 Many particles are
unstable.
Tools for Studying
Particles
Particle accelerators are machines used to accelerate particles to high
energies. Examples include the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN
and the Tevatron at Fermilab.
Particle detectors are devices used to detect and measure the
properties of particles. Examples include ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and
LHCb at the LHC. Key detector components are trackers, calorimeters,
and muon detectors. These machines are essential for advancing our
understanding of particle physics.
Accelerators
Accelerate particles.
Detectors
Detect and measure.
Open Questions and
Future Directions
There are several open questions that need to be answered. The Standard
Model has limitations such as dark matter, dark energy, and neutrino masses.
Supersymmetry (SUSY) is a hypothetical symmetry relating bosons and
fermions, and String Theory is a theoretical framework attempting to unify all
fundamental forces.
Future plans include future high-energy colliders such as the Future Circular
Collider (FCC). Particle physics is a vibrant and evolving field, with many
exciting discoveries yet to be made.
Supersymmetry String Theory
(SUSY)
Hypothetical symmetry Unify fundamental forces
Future Colliders
Next generation
