LHC Sim: Hydrogen Atoms & Quark Charges

[jluke]

I was on the LHC simulator and the collisions of the Hydrogen atoms were confusing. Why were some uniform in direction while some spinning erratically in a cork screw pattern? Does that behavior have anything to do with the positive or negative charges of the Quarks in the nucleus?

 

[Drakkith]

Can you be more specific? What exactly was spinning erratically? The protons before the collision, or the products afterwards?

 

[jluke]

Lhc

It was the product of the collision. I assume the proton takes on different characteristics after the collision? Drakkith thanks for your patience I am a 52 year old construction superintendent without any formal physics training.

 

[Drakkith]

The collision creates new particles using the kinetic energy of the colliding protons. These particles have properties that may be different from the proton. Some have more or less mass, a different charge, no charge, etc. Each of these particles leaves a different trail in the detectors, that is how we identify them.

 

[cragar]

the quark screw pattern might be because of the cyclotron orbit around the B field.

 

[Drakkith]

the quark screw pattern might be because of the cyclotron orbit around the B field.

Just so we're clear, individual quarks cannot be seen. It is impossible.
They are NEVER found without at least one other quark thanks to color confinement.

What is detected is only the hadrons and other composite particles that are made of quarks.