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Could someone tell me if the quark has been experimentally proved to exist?
I mean in a particle accelerator. Or indirectly inferred.
I mean in a particle accelerator. Or indirectly inferred.
dextercioby said:The existence of 6 flavors of quarks has been experimentally proven so far.Theory admits 16.
Daniel.
I'm no QFT expert, but how does this hold with the measurement of the Z width?
Meir Achuz said:"... if the quark has been experimentally proved to exist?"
This really depends on what any individual means by
"experimentally proved to exist?".
Before quarks, it usually meant observing an interaction of the particle.
For instance, the neutrino was inferred in beta decay, but the community did not consider it "experimentally proved to exist" until Cowan and Reines observed an inverse beta decay caused by neutrinos. I personally am satisfied with the experimental evidence for the existence of quarks, but "evidence" is not "proof".
It is a clever theory that includes the prediction that the core particles can never be liberated. One thing that can be said in favor of evidence for quarks is that numerous experiments trying to disprove their existence have failed.
The best evidence for quarks include, using quarks to:
--correlate baryon and meson masses and magnetic moments.
--understand point-like structures seen inside the proton in deep inelastic scattering of electrons by protons. As I said, the best argument for quarks is a lack of evidence against their existence, despite numerous eforts.
I meant that as a general statement that no measurement of the magnetic moment or mass of any octet or decuplet baryon is in significant disagreement with the quark model.486DX said:Hi Meir Achuz
I'm very interested in what you said "the best argument for quarks is a lack of evidence against their existence, despite numerous efforts"
Could you elaborate on this, or provide additional references on such a topic?
Thank You!
A quark is a subatomic particle that is a fundamental building block of matter. It is one of the basic constituents of protons and neutrons, which make up the nucleus of an atom.
The existence of quarks has been inferred through various experiments and observations in particle physics. These include the study of the structure of atoms, the behavior of particles in accelerators, and the results of high-energy collisions.
No, quarks cannot be observed directly because they are always bound together in particles such as protons and neutrons. However, their presence can be detected through the particles they form and the interactions they have with other particles.
Yes, there are six known types or "flavors" of quarks: up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom. Each type has a different mass and charge, and they combine in different ways to form various particles.
Yes, there is strong evidence for the existence of quarks based on the consistency of their predictions with experimental data and the successful development of the Standard Model of particle physics, which incorporates quarks as fundamental particles.