About spin being an internal symmetry

In summary, spin is an intrinsic property of particles that describes their angular momentum and is considered an internal symmetry in physics. It is one of the fundamental symmetries in the Standard Model, along with charge, isospin, and color. Particles can have different spin values, which affect their interactions and behavior. Real-world applications of spin as an internal symmetry include magnetic resonance imaging, quantum computing, and condensed matter physics.
  • #1
jtceleron
16
0
As we know, spin is an internal symmetry. but it seems a bit different from other internal symmetry, e.g. electrical charge, color, flavor... because it can be coupled with orbital angular momentum and in some aspects be linked to space-time. further more, we can classify all the particles into two families, bosons and fermions, which seems to make spin more important than any other internal symmetry.
I am a bit confused of this, why is it special from others?
 
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  • #2
What do you mean by internal symmetry?
 
  • #3
Spin is not an internal symmetry, but a space-time symmetry.
 

1. What is spin as an internal symmetry?

Spin is an intrinsic property of particles that describes their angular momentum. As an internal symmetry, it means that the laws of physics remain unchanged under rotations of the orientation of particles' spin.

2. How is spin related to other internal symmetries?

Spin is one of the fundamental internal symmetries in the Standard Model of particle physics, along with charge, isospin, and color. These symmetries play a crucial role in determining the behavior of particles and their interactions.

3. Can particles have different spin values?

Yes, particles can have different spin values, which are determined by their intrinsic properties. For example, electrons have a spin of 1/2, while protons and neutrons have a spin of 1.

4. How does spin affect the behavior of particles?

The spin of a particle affects its interactions with other particles and its overall behavior. Particles with half-integer spin, such as electrons, follow the rules of Fermi-Dirac statistics, while particles with integer spin, like protons, follow the rules of Bose-Einstein statistics.

5. What are some real-world applications of spin as an internal symmetry?

Spin has many important applications in modern technology, such as in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, which use the spin of particles to create detailed images of the body. Spin also plays a crucial role in the development of quantum computers and in understanding the behavior of materials in the field of condensed matter physics.

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