Neutral pion quark composition help

In summary, the conversation discusses the composition of neutral pions and whether they can be made up of a strange quark and an anti-strange quark. It is clarified that the pion is a linear combination of flavor-antiflavor states and does not contain a ssbar component. The strangeness in this combination is considered negligible.
  • #1
Quarkyguy
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Hi guys,

Merry Christmas to you all!

I wanted to know whether a neutral pion can be made up of a strange quark and an anti-strange quark. I know that the kaon is the only strange meson and all variations contain an s quark but wouldn't the strangeness be zero in an s quark/anti-s quark pair as their strangenesses cancel out?

My textbook includes the s quark/anti-s quark composition for the neutral pion but my revision guide only mentions the u/anti-u and the d/anti-d combinations.

I would appreciate if someone cleared things up for me!

Thanks in advance!
 
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  • #2
The neutral strangeless mesons are not particular uubar, ddbar or ssbar combinations. It is a linear combination of flavor-antiflavor states. In the case of the pion, that combination involves no ssbar component.
 
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  • #3
Orodruin said:
involves no ssbar component.

I would say "negligible".
 
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  • #4
Vanadium 50 said:
I would say "negligible".
For b-level I would consider that essentially equivalent... :rolleyes:
 
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  • #5
Orodruin said:
The neutral strangeless mesons are not particular uubar, ddbar or ssbar combinations. It is a linear combination of flavor-antiflavor states. In the case of the pion, that combination involves no ssbar component.
Thanks, mate
 

1. What is a neutral pion?

A neutral pion is a type of subatomic particle that is composed of two quarks - an up quark and an anti-up quark. It is the lightest and shortest-lived type of meson, and is classified as a boson due to its integer spin.

2. How is a neutral pion different from other particles?

Neutral pions are unique in that they have a net electric charge of zero, unlike other particles which have either a positive or negative charge. They also have a very short lifespan, decaying into two photons within about 10^-16 seconds.

3. What is the quark composition of a neutral pion?

A neutral pion is composed of one up quark and one anti-up quark, which are bound together by the strong nuclear force. This quark combination creates a net electric charge of zero for the neutral pion.

4. How are neutral pions produced?

Neutral pions can be produced in high-energy particle collisions, such as those that occur in particle accelerators. They can also be created in natural processes, such as the decay of other particles or in cosmic ray interactions.

5. What is the importance of understanding neutral pion quark composition?

The study of neutral pion quark composition helps scientists to better understand the fundamental building blocks of matter and the strong nuclear force. It also has practical applications in fields such as particle physics, nuclear energy, and medical imaging.

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