ATAR Notes: Forum

Uni Stuff => Science => Faculties => Physics => Topic started by: Cthulhu on July 17, 2010, 01:04:55 am

Title: Quarks, Gluons and Quantum Chromodynamics.
Post by: Cthulhu on July 17, 2010, 01:04:55 am

So I'm reading through my textbook's chapter on elementary particles and it starts talking about Colour charge in quarks and mentions that when a quark emits a gluon it changes colour.

There are eight different gluons
blue-antired
blue-antigreen
blue-antiblue
green-antired
green-antiblue
red-antiblue
red-antigreen
red-antired

Now when a blue quark emits a blue-antired gluon it becomes red but what happens if a blue quark emits a blue-antiblue gluon? My thinking is that the quark should either then become an anti-blue quark or remain as a blue quark.

Is one of my understandings of this correct?

Title: Re: Quarks, Gluons and Quantum Chromodynamics.
Post by: Mao on July 17, 2010, 03:48:33 am

I have absolutely no idea what this is, but why did I count 9 different gluons?

Title: Re: Quarks, Gluons and Quantum Chromodynamics.
Post by: Cthulhu on July 17, 2010, 09:26:07 am

Quote from: Mao on July 17, 2010, 03:48:33 am

I have absolutely no idea what this is, but why did I count 9 different gluons?

oh you're right... what one shouldnt be there....
Edit: there is no green-antigreen.