Unraveling the Mystery of a Proton-Antiproton Collider

[neu]

This is a coursework question, but i know the answer i don't understand why it's correct.

"A proton antiproton collider produces a pair of top quarks, draw a Feymann
diagram of this process that involves a single gluon."

the answer being that 2 like quark/antiquark ( u & u bar or d & d bar)collide to produce a single gluon which decays to top quark aintiquark pair.

This seems to contradict what I've read about gluons

If gluons couple to colour charges and don't affect flavour, then how can u or d quarks (in proton) change to t quark pair by just
a single gluon exchange?

 

[Jhero]

Thank you for your question. I understand your confusion about the role of gluons in this process. Let me explain further.

First, it is important to understand that gluons are the particles responsible for the strong nuclear force, which holds quarks together to form protons and other particles. Gluons carry a property called "color charge", which is similar to electric charge but has three different types instead of just positive and negative.

In the process you mentioned, a pair of top quarks is produced from the collision of a proton and an antiproton. This collision is mediated by a single gluon, which carries a color charge from one of the quarks to the other. The gluon itself does not change the flavor of the quarks involved, it simply transfers the energy and momentum needed for the production of the top quarks.

In other words, the gluon is like a messenger between the quarks, allowing them to interact and produce the top quark pair. The gluon does not affect the flavor of the quarks, it only carries the necessary energy for the process to take place.

I hope this explanation helps to clarify your doubts. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. As scientists, it is important for us to understand and question the processes that we study in order to gain a deeper understanding of the world around us.