2006-08-15 06:02:02 · 5 answers · asked by gerlooser 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
I think what you are asking is - what does "strange" and "charmed" mean when these terms are used to describe quarks. Basically these terms are just labels. They themselves do not have any real meaning. Physicists could have used any other terms like "spicy" or "sweet" (which are real flavors by the way). These various flavors of quarks do not "behave" that much differently from each other. They just have different properties like different masses, different spins, different charges, etc. These differences in properties means that they will have different kinds of interactions with other particles. But all quarks are confined by the strong force to only exist alongside with 2 other quark partners. However, the more massive the quark is, the more unstable it is (meaning that the more massive quark trio would decay into other types of particles). As a matter of fact, nearly all matter that is observable in the Universe are made up of the Top and Bottom quarks. There are no matter made from "strange" and "charmed" quarks.
2006-08-15 06:57:28 · answer #1 · answered by PhysicsDude 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Strange and charmed quarks are both second-generation quarks.
Strange quarks have a weak isospin of -1/2, flavor of -1 (strange, of course), an elementary charge of -1/3, and a mass of 80-130 MeV/c^2. Some of the particles that contain strange quarks: strange mesons (kaons) and strange baryons (hyperons).
Charmed quarks have a weak isospin of +1/2, flavor of +1 (charmed), an elementary charge of +2/3, and mass of 1150-1350 MeV/c^2. Some of the particles that contain charmed quarks: D-type mesons and charmonium states.
2006-08-15 13:24:07 · answer #2 · answered by stellarfirefly 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the only way they can be differentiated is by looking at their tracks in a cloud chamber. We know they exist, not what they're for. Actually, I'm not convinced that anything smaller than a muon really exists. I suspect quarks are just the various paths that can be followed by muons.
2006-08-15 13:12:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Strangeness and charm are quark characteristics. Flavor is *also* a quark characteristic (as is color) and all of them are linearly independent of each other (so far as we know).
Doug
2006-08-15 13:09:52 · answer #4 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I reckon it may mean like something totally zombie
2006-08-15 13:08:57 · answer #5 · answered by payal m 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋