1. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
This part of Option J has already been covered in
Option D5 Quarks.
It is replicated here without any changes.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund

2. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
J.3.1 List the six types of quark.
J.3.2 State the content, in terms of quarks and antiquarks, of hadrons (that is, baryons and mesons).
J.3.3 State the quark content of the proton and the neutron.
J.3.4 Define baryon number and apply the conservation of baryon number.
J.3.5 Deduce the spin structure of hadrons (that is, baryons and mesons). Only an elementary discussion in terms of ‘spin up’ and ‘spin down’ is required. See D.4.4 above for details.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund

3. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
List the six types of quark.
You have already been introduced to the six quarks:
Quarks participate in the strong force whose carrier is the gluon.
Quark
Antiquark
Flavor
Symbol
Charge
Symbol
Charge Up u
+ 2/3 u
- 2/3
Down d
- 1/3 d
+ 1/3
Strange s
- 1/3 s
+ 1/3
Charm c
+ 2/3 c
- 2/3
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
Bottom b
- 1/3 b
+ 1/3
Top t
+ 2/3 t
- 2/3

4. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
State the content, in terms of quarks and antiquarks, of hadrons (that is, baryons and mesons).
A hadron is a particle that participates in the strong force.
Since quarks participate in the strong force, and since baryons and mesons are made of quarks, baryons and mesons are hadrons.
A baryon is made of three quarks (qqq). An antibaryon is made of three antiquarks (qqq).
A meson is made up of a quark and an antiquark (qq):
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
FYI
A single quark cannot be isolated. We will talk about quark confinement later. Basically, confinement states that you cannot separate a single quark from a hadron.

5. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
State the quark content of the proton and the neutron.
A proton is a baryon made up of two up quarks and a down quark. p = (uud).
A neutron is a baryon made up of one up quark and two down quarks. n = (udd).
EXAMPLE:
Show that the charge of a proton is +1, and that the charge of a neutron is 0.
SOLUTION:
The charge of an up quark is +2/3.
The charge of a down quark is -1/3.
Thus
Proton = uud : +2/3 + +2/3 + -1/3 = +1.
Neutron = udd : +2/3 + -1/3 + -1/3 = 0.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund

6. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Define baryon number and apply the conservation of baryon number.
The baryon number of a quark is +1/3. The baryon number of an antiquark is -1/3.
quark (q) or antiquark (q) baryon number B
Quark: B = +1/3
Antiquark: B = -1/3
PRACTICE: What is the baryon number of a proton and an antiproton?
SOLUTION:
Proton = uud : +1/3 + +1/3 + +1/3 = +1.
Antiproton = uud : -1/3 + -1/3 + -1/3 = -1.
PRACTICE: What is the baryon number of a meson?
SOLUTION: A meson has the quark makeup (qq) so that it has a baryon number of +1/3 + -1/3 = 0.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
FYI
Baryon number is conserved in all reactions.

7. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Deduce the spin structure of hadrons (that is, baryons and mesons).
The spin of a quark (or antiquark) is spin up ( = 1/2) or spin down ( = -1/2).
quark (q) or antiquark (q) spin
Spin up +1/2 or 
Spin down -1/2 or 
PRACTICE: Deduce the possible spin structures of a baryon:
SOLUTION: A baryon is (qqq):
Possibility 1: +1/2 + +1/2 + +1/2 = +3/2.
Possibility 2: +1/2 + +1/2 + -1/2 = +1/2.
Possibility 3: +1/2 + -1/2 + -1/2 = -1/2.
Possibility 4: -1/2 + -1/2 + -1/2 = -3/2.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
FYI
Recall that fermions have odd multiples of ½ as their spin and obey the Pauli exclusion principle.

8. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Deduce the spin structure of hadrons (that is, baryons and mesons).
The spin of a quark (or antiquark) is spin up ( = 1/2) or spin down ( = -1/2).
quark (q) or antiquark (q) spin
Spin up +1/2 or 
Spin down -1/2 or 
PRACTICE: Deduce the possible spin structures of a meson:
SOLUTION: A meson is (qq):
Possibility 1: +1/2 + +1/2 = +1.
Possibility 2: +1/2 + -1/2 = 0.
Possibility 3: -1/2 + -1/2 = -1.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
FYI
Recall that bosons have even multiples of ½ as their spin (whole number spins) and DO NOT obey the Pauli exclusion principle.

9. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Deduce the spin structure of hadrons (that is, baryons and mesons).
Pauli says they can’t have identical quantum numbers. Their colors differ.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
A proton has a quark structure of uud.
Each quark has a spin of  ½.
If two of the three quarks has a spin of + ½ and the other a spin of – ½ the proton has a spin of ½.

10. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
J.3.6 Explain the need for color in forming bound states of quarks.
J.3.7 State the color of quarks and gluons.
J.3.8 Outline the concept of strangeness.
J.3.9 Discuss quark confinement.
J.3.10 Discuss the interaction that binds nucleons in terms of the color force between quarks.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund

11. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Explain the need for color in forming bound states of quarks.
Two electrons repel, yet an electron and a positron (or proton) attract. To explain such interactions we use the model of “charge,” and give charges either a (+) or a (–) value.
Quarks, on the other hand, seem to show three types of charge, rather than two. A model using (+) and (-) numbers fails.
Instead, physicists use the color charge model because of the three primary colors red, green, and blue.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
FYI
Perhaps you recall from an art class that adding red, green and blue light produces white light. The color charge model requires all particles to be “white.”

12. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
State the color of quarks and gluons.
Just as (+) and (-) are used to explain the electromagnetic force, the three colors are used to explain the strong force.
Quarks come in red, green, and blue.
Antiquarks come in anti-red, anti-green, and anti-blue.
FYI
Note that, for example, anti-red is the green-blue combo (cyan).
Note that since all particles must be white, a baryon must have the color combo (qqq) and an antibaryon must have the color combo (qqq).
A meson must have the color combo (qq), (qq), (qq).
The color charge of a particle is zero (white).
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund

13. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
State the color of quarks and gluons.
Gluons, the strong force carrier, have two colors and are not white (and thus have a non-zero color charge).
This gives gluons the ability to carry the strong force.
The complete theory of the color force is called quantum chromo dynamics (QCD).
quark
gluon
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
quark
gluon
quark
gluon

14. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Outline the concept of strangeness.
The strangeness number S of a baryon is related to the number of strange quarks the particle has and is found using the formula
strangeness S
S = #Antistrange quarks
- #strange quarks
EXAMPLE: The lambda zero particle (0) is a baryon having the quark combo of (uds). What is its charge? What is its strangeness?
SOLUTION:
From a previous table the charges are u = +2/3, d = -1/3 and s = -1/3 so that the total charge is 0.
From the above formula
S = #Antistrange quarks - #strange quarks
= 0 – 1 = -1.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund

15. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Outline the concept of strangeness.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
The – is a hadron because it is composed of quarks.

16. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Outline the concept of strangeness.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
The proton is composed of uud.

17. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Outline the concept of strangeness.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
If X is sss, then the reaction can be written in terms of quarks as follows:
su + uud  ds + us + sss
The left has an s, u, and d left.
The right also has an s, u, and d left.
The quarks are balanced on each side.

18. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Discuss quark confinement.
Quark confinement means that we cannot ever separate a single quark from a baryon or a meson.
Because of the nature of the strong force holding the quarks together we need to provide an energy that is proportional to the separation.
Eventually, that energy is so vast that a new quark-antiquark pair forms and all we have is a meson, instead of an isolated quark!
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund

19. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Discuss quark confinement.
Original meson
Quark-antiquark pair created from energy needed for separation
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund
Newly-created meson

20. Option J: Particle physics J3 Quarks
Discuss the interaction that binds nucleons in terms of the color force between quarks.
The residual color force of the gluons that hold the quarks together is what is known as the strong force.
Thus nuclear reactors and bombs represent only the residual energy in the gluon interaction between quarks.
© 2006 By Timothy K. Lund