Explanation for the behavior of the top quark

In summary, the top quark is considered the smallest quark due to its high mass, but this does not mean it has a physical size. It is a fundamental particle that can be described as a vibration of a field, rather than a solid object. Its mass is related to the amount of energy needed to create an excitation in the field. This also explains the concept of the de Broglie wavelength.
  • #1
mrcollet
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I read that the top quark is "the smallest quark, which means it is the most massive".

How can it be the smallest and yet the most massive?
 
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  • #2
mrcollet said:
I read that the top quark is "the smallest quark, which means it is the most massive".

How can it be the smallest and yet the most massive?

Could you give a reference? My understanding is that quark volumes are extremely vague and for practical purposes are considered points.
 
  • #3
this can be either your misunderstanding of what you read, or your source is not reliable/nonsense. Quarks are "fundamental particles" so far, meaning we deal them as pointlike particles. The top is a quark.
The only thing that has to do with the distance and the top, is that in order to create a top quark you need high energies [because it's massive]. Now some people tend to use instead of energies the distance r [which is ~1/E] in charts... so higher energies means you "see deeper" but that's actually not useful and has nothing to do with the top's mass, but with how energetic [or how deep] your interactions can take place.
 
  • #4
mrcollet said:
I read that the top quark is "the smallest quark, which means it is the most massive".

How can it be the smallest and yet the most massive?

Think in terms of fields rather than particles and the picture is more clear. A particle having a large mass means that it takes a lot of energy to kick an excitation out of the underlying quantum field. The field is more "stiff" if you like and doesn't respond easily. It also means that such an excitation is carrying a lot of energy around with it. But the excitation is just a vibration of the field, so its "size" doesn't matter at all to this picture, and indeed as others said it will be considered as a superposition of point-like vibrations. It isn't like classical matter, where you need to collect more "stuff" into some volume to make a heavier object.
 
  • #5
This is just a comment for the de Broglie wavelength.

The top is most massive and therefore the most small
 

1. How was the top quark discovered?

The top quark was discovered in 1995 by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) and the DZero experiments. It was identified through its decay products in proton-antiproton collisions at the Tevatron collider.

2. What is the behavior of the top quark?

The top quark is the heaviest known elementary particle, with a mass of approximately 173 GeV. It has an electric charge of +2/3 and is classified as a fermion, meaning it follows the rules of quantum mechanics. It interacts through the strong, weak, and electromagnetic forces.

3. Why is the top quark important in particle physics?

The top quark plays a crucial role in the Standard Model of particle physics. Its properties and behaviors can provide insights into the fundamental forces and particles that make up our universe. Additionally, the top quark's large mass makes it a unique object for studying the Higgs boson and other physics beyond the Standard Model.

4. How does the top quark differ from other quarks?

The top quark is the only quark that can decay into a bottom quark, making it the only quark that can decay through the weak interaction. It also has a much larger mass than the other quarks, which affects its properties and behaviors.

5. What are some current research efforts focused on the top quark?

Scientists are currently studying the top quark's properties, such as its mass and its interactions with other particles, in order to better understand the Standard Model and search for new physics. They are also working on improving methods of measuring the top quark's properties and studying its decays for any deviations from the predicted behavior.

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