Can All Baryons Annihilate with Their Corresponding Antibaryons?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on baryon-antibaryon annihilation, specifically addressing the antiomega hyperon and its interactions. It confirms that annihilation occurs between baryons and their corresponding antibaryons, as noted in the Wikipedia article on annihilation. The antiomega hyperon, which does not share quark flavors with nucleons, is highlighted for its energetically favorable annihilation with protons, totaling 2610 MeV. However, its annihilation cross-section is lower, and its lifetime of 82 picoseconds limits observation of low-energy annihilation reactions.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of baryons and antibaryons, particularly the omega hyperon.
  • Familiarity with particle physics concepts such as quark flavors and annihilation reactions.
  • Knowledge of energy measurements in particle interactions (MeV).
  • Basic grasp of particle lifetimes and decay processes.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the properties and interactions of the omega hyperon in particle physics.
  • Explore the implications of quark flavor conservation in baryon-antibaryon annihilation.
  • Investigate experimental methods for observing low-energy annihilation reactions.
  • Learn about the production and decay mechanisms of antihyperons in high-energy physics.
USEFUL FOR

Particle physicists, researchers in high-energy physics, and students studying baryon interactions and annihilation processes will benefit from this discussion.

snorkack
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Different baryons routinely annihilate. Like antineutron and proton.
Wikipedia article on annihilation acknowledges this.
But at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annihilation#Proton-antiproton_annihilation
near end of first section, I find statement:
This type of reaction will occur between any baryon (particle consisting of three quarks) and any antibaryon consisting of three antiquarks, one of which corresponds to a quark in the baryon. (This reaction is unlikely if at least one among the baryon and anti-baryon is exotic enough that they share no constituent quark flavors.)
The most common (lowest energy and longest lifetime) baryon that shares no flavour with nucleons is omega hyperon.
Annihilation of antiomega hyperon would be energetically favourable. 1672 MeV of Ω plus 938 MeV of proton sums up to 2610 MeV, while 3 kaons would be just about 1490 MeV.
So, does antiomega hyperon have a conspicuously lower annihilation cross-section and longer lifetime in matter compared to other antihyperons which do share quark flavours with nucleons?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
##\Omega## has a lifetime of 82 ps, corresponding to a few millimeters to centimeters of flight distance, and we cannot produce it at low energies (with relevant cross section). It decays before we could observe low-energetic annihilation reactions.
 

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