The quarks, the elementary particles that constitute the protons and neutrons of the atomic nucleus, are fermions. And the electrons, too. There are several typesalthough physicists like to talk about ‘flavors’: up (UP), below (Down), charm (Charm), strange (Strange), Cima (top) and background (Bottom). The most frequent in ordinary matter They are the quarks up and downalthough top is very interesting for a curious reason: it is The heaviest elementary particle that we can find in nature.
An interesting note since we move in the field of fermions: supersymmetry is a theoretical model of particle physics that proposes the existence of a hypothetical particle that is matched with each of the fundamental particles we know. PSIANS EXPLAIN THE EXISTING RELATIONSHIP Among the bosonsthat have a spin with whole value, and the fermions, which have a semientero spin. However, it is important that we do not overlook that it is a hypothetical theoretical framework that, therefore, has not yet been observed in nature. Not even experimentally.
Physicists still do not understand how quarks and gluons combine
The strong nuclear interaction, which is one of the four fundamental forces of nature, is the “glue” that keeps the quarks together to give rise to protons, neutrons and other hadrons. It is also responsible for the cohesion and stabilization of the nucleus of atoms. Until now, particle physicists considered that this force interacts with all quarks, regardless of its flavor, in the same way. This mechanism is known as isospin symmetry and respects, yes, the differences that exist between the masses and the electric charges of the quarks.
A kaon is a subatomic particle constituted by a quark and an antiquark, but not by any quark; It is a strange quark
According to Isospin symmetry, the collision of heavy ions, which are atoms or molecules that have acquired positive or negative global electric charge due to the loss or gain of electrons, should essentially generate the same amount of kaons with electric charge and neutral kaons because The mass of the quarks up and down is similar. An note before moving forward: a kaon is a subatomic particle that is constituted by a quark and an antiquark, but not by any quark; It is a strange quark. The presence of the latter gives them very peculiar properties, so studying them is very useful to understand the characteristics of the subject a little better.
What has surprised CERN physicists is that The Na61/Shine experiment has evidenced that Isospin’s symmetry is not fulfilled. And does not do so because heavy ion collisions generate a very large imbalance between the production of loaded kaons and neutral kaons. In recent years, physicists suspected that a certain degree of imbalance could be given, but what they did not expect is that this difference was so great. This is very important for a reason: current theoretical models have difficulty explaining it.
It may seem like a problem, but it is not at all; It is an opportunity. In particle physics when such a discrepancy appears What is happening in your experiments. This particular disparity has the ability to help them better understand how strong nuclear interaction works and how quarks and gluons are combined to give rise to the production of hadrons.
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