Baryon Multiplets and quark content

In summary, the J=3/2 multiplet in particle physics contains baryons made of uuu, ddd, and sss quarks, while the J=1/2 multiplet does not have baryons consisting of three quarks of the same flavor. This is due to the antisymmetric nature of the three quarks in terms of color and spin, which follows from Fermi-Dirac statistics. The J=3/2 multiplet requires all spins of quarks to be aligned, making it have even less "freedom" compared to the J=1/2 multiplet. This is because the wavefunction of the three quarks must be totally antisymmetric, leaving only the spin to be totally
  • #1
Naz93
29
2
I'm learning about particle physics at the moment, and have read that the J=3/2 multiplet contains baryons comprised of uuu, ddd, sss quarks. But the J=1/2 multiplet contains no baryons consisting of three quarks of the same flavour. Is there a reason for this? Is it something to do with quantum numbers the three quarks can take? (That doesn't really make sense to me, as the J=3/2 requires all spins of quarks aligned, so has even less "freedom" than than the J=1/2...)
 
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  • #2
Because the 3 quarks are antisymmetric in the color degree of freedom, they obey effective Bose statistics.
Three identical quarks cannot be in a spin 1/2+1/2+1/2=1/2 state because this spin state is not fully symmetric.
 
  • #3
Naz93 said:
I'm learning about particle physics at the moment, and have read that the J=3/2 multiplet contains baryons comprised of uuu, ddd, sss quarks. But the J=1/2 multiplet contains no baryons consisting of three quarks of the same flavour. Is there a reason for this? Is it something to do with quantum numbers the three quarks can take? (That doesn't really make sense to me, as the J=3/2 requires all spins of quarks aligned, so has even less "freedom" than than the J=1/2...)
It arises from Fermi-Dirac statistics. The wavefunction of the three quarks must be totally antisymmetric. It consists of parts: space, spin, flavor and color. The space part, assuming L=0, is symmetric. The flavor part, assuming three identical quarks, is symmetric. The color part, assuming the baryon will be colorless is totally antisymmetric. That leaves just the spin, and it must be totally symmetric. The totally symmetric coupling of three spin-1/2's is J=3/2.
 
  • #4
Thanks both! :smile:
 

1. What are baryon multiplets?

Baryon multiplets are groups of particles that have the same spin and parity but differ in their quark content. They are important in understanding the structure and behavior of baryons, which are particles made up of three quarks.

2. What is the quark content of a baryon?

The quark content of a baryon refers to the types and numbers of quarks that make up the particle. Baryons are composed of three quarks, which can be either up or down quarks. For example, a proton is made up of two up quarks and one down quark.

3. How is the quark content of a baryon determined?

The quark content of a baryon is determined through experiments and calculations based on the particle's properties, such as its mass, charge, and spin. These properties can provide clues about the quarks that make up the baryon.

4. What is the significance of baryon multiplets?

Baryon multiplets help us understand the underlying structure and interactions of baryons. By studying the patterns in baryon multiplets, scientists can gain insight into the fundamental forces and particles that govern the behavior of matter.

5. How do baryon multiplets relate to the Standard Model of particle physics?

The Standard Model of particle physics is a theoretical framework that describes the fundamental particles and forces of the universe. Baryon multiplets play a crucial role in this model, as they are used to classify and organize baryons according to their properties and quark content.

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