- #1
Stalafin
- 21
- 0
I have the following process:
q(R) + \bar{q}(\bar{B}) \rightarrow q(R)+\bar{q}(\bar{B})
In words: a quark with red color-charge and an antiquark with an anti-blue color-charge are incoming, and a red quark and anti-blue antiquark are emerging. Since I am not sure how else to draw that, I try to do some ASCII art here:
q are the quarks, q- the antiquarks, R is red, B- is antiblue, time runs from left to right.
The question is: which gluon(s) can participate in this exchange?
I have read Griffiths "Introduction to Elementary Particle Physics" on that topic and on p.290 Example 8.1 he more or less states exactly that problem. He talks about a "typical octet state" R\bar{B}. What is that supposed to mean? I thought the octet states are always a superposition of two states, in this case:
|1\rangle = (R\bar{B} + B\bar{R})/\sqrt{2}
I was thinking along the lines of color conservation. The only thing that made sense to me is that the mediating gluon has to be B\bar{B}: the incoming red quark sends out a B\bar{B} pair. The incoming anti-blue antiquark combines with the blue charge, and what remains is an anti-blue charge... But I somewhat feel that this logic is flawed. :(
What's the right answer here?
q(R) + \bar{q}(\bar{B}) \rightarrow q(R)+\bar{q}(\bar{B})
In words: a quark with red color-charge and an antiquark with an anti-blue color-charge are incoming, and a red quark and anti-blue antiquark are emerging. Since I am not sure how else to draw that, I try to do some ASCII art here:
Code:
q(R) q(R)
1\ 3/
\ /
\ /
\ /
~
~ G (?,?)
~
~
/ \
/ \
/ \
2/ 4\
q-(B-) q-(B-)
----------------------> tThe question is: which gluon(s) can participate in this exchange?
I have read Griffiths "Introduction to Elementary Particle Physics" on that topic and on p.290 Example 8.1 he more or less states exactly that problem. He talks about a "typical octet state" R\bar{B}. What is that supposed to mean? I thought the octet states are always a superposition of two states, in this case:
|1\rangle = (R\bar{B} + B\bar{R})/\sqrt{2}
I was thinking along the lines of color conservation. The only thing that made sense to me is that the mediating gluon has to be B\bar{B}: the incoming red quark sends out a B\bar{B} pair. The incoming anti-blue antiquark combines with the blue charge, and what remains is an anti-blue charge... But I somewhat feel that this logic is flawed. :(
What's the right answer here?