Do Quark and Antiquark Collisions Produce Gluons or Photons?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the interactions between quarks and antiquarks, specifically whether such collisions produce gluons or photons. The original poster references a specific reaction involving a pion and a proton, questioning the nature of the particles produced during the interaction.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to understand the particle interactions by comparing them to electron-positron annihilation and raises a specific question about the products of quark-antiquark collisions. Other participants provide links to external resources and express uncertainty about the outcomes of such interactions.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring different interpretations of the particle interactions. Some have provided links to external resources for further reading, but there is no explicit consensus on the nature of the products from quark-antiquark collisions.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working within the context of particle physics and may be constrained by their current understanding of quantum chromodynamics and the specific reactions being discussed.

eoghan
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Hi there!
If an electron collides with a positron, they will annihilate producing a photon. But what about quarks?
If an up quark collides with an antiup quark, do they produce a gluon or a photon?
I ask that because I'm studying the reaction:
\Pi^- + p \rightarrow \Lambda+K^0
where I suppose the antiup quark of Pi annihilates with the up quark from the proton and creates a gluon, which in turn decays into a pair strange/antistrange quark. Is it right?
 
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yogurtforthes said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron–positron_annihilation

Look here for starters. There is a nice diagram of to the right showing most of the reaction. Look at that for help. There are other links at the bottom that may help as well.

That accounts for elecetron/positron annihilation, but what about quark and antiquark? Do they produce a photon or a gluon?
 
I figured it was like in the diagram. Two photons (opposed) and a neutrino. Let me find a better breakdown page, if I can. I'm not clear what the quarks create, I'd assume the photons as you said (they create diametrically opposed particles).
 
Very interesting link!
Thank you!
 

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