Particle Physics

I. Elementary Particles unitary particles

A. Fermions- particles which are usually associated with matter; half integer spin
- Ferm-Dirac Statistics (describes a distribution of particles over energy states
in systems consisting of many identical particles that obey the Pauli exclusion principle)
1. Leptons very tiny point like objects with no particular structure; halfinteger spins; weak interactions
A. Charged leptons
a. Electrons- negative elementary electric charge
b. Muon- similar to electron, -1 charge, spin, but much greater mass
and very unstable
c. Tau - similar to electron, -1 charge, spin; heaviest among the 3;
the only lepton that can decay into hadrons
-can form exotic atoms (otherwise normal atom in which one or more sub-atomic
particles have been replaced by other particles of the same charge)
B. Neutral Leptons (neutrino) electrically neutral with half integer
spin; the only identified form of hot dark matter travels at ultrarelativistic
velocities(cannot be detected by EMR)
a. Electron neutrino
b. Muon neutrino
c. Tau neutrino
2. Anti-leptons
a. positron
b. anti-muon
c. anti-tau
d. anti-neutrino
3. Quarks- basic building blocks of matters in the universe
a. Up = +2/3
b. Down = -1/3
c. Top = +2/3
d. Bottom = -1/3
e. Strange = -1/3
f. Charms = +2/3
4. Anti-quarks
B. Bosons force carrier particles; integer value spin
- follows the Bose-Einstein statistics (one of two possible ways in which a collection of
non-interacting indistinguishable particles may occupy a set of available discrete energy states)
Gauge Bosons spin is 1

a. photons EM force and light

b. W and Z bosons mediates the weak force (radioactive decay of subatomic
particles)
c. gluons mediates strong force (binds proton and neutron in nucleus)
d. Graviton gravitational force
Scalar Boson spin is 0
e. Higgs bosons - responsible for the mechanism that contributes to the
understanding of the origin of mass of subatomic particles
II. Composite Particles (Hadrons) conglomerate or multiple set of 1 or more
elementary particle
A. Baryons made from 3 quarks
a. Protons (uud) positively charged
b. Neutron (udd) no net charge
Hyperons heavier than nucleons
c. Lambda (uds)
d. Sigma
e. Xi
f. Omega (sss)
B. Mesons middle particles (1quark+1anti-quark)
a. Pion (ud) - lightest
b. Kaon
c. Eta