Non-Nucleon Stable Hadronic Matter

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Superposed_Cat
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Matter Stable
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the existence of stable hadronic matter beyond nucleons, particularly in the context of exotic atoms. Participants explore various forms of matter, including hypothetical constructs and the implications of quark interactions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that nucleons and their antiparticles are the only known stable hadronic objects, while positronium is mentioned as an exotic atom that involves stable particles but undergoes annihilation.
  • Strangelets are proposed as a hypothetical form of baryonic matter, though their existence remains speculative.
  • Neutron stars are suggested as stable hadronic objects, but there is contention regarding whether they are purely hadronic.
  • Questions arise about the possibility of a quark binding to a different particle via electromagnetic force, with some participants noting that quarks carry color charge and are bound by the strong interaction.
  • One participant expresses skepticism about isolating a single quark, referencing the strong force's behavior and the potential creation of new quark pairs when attempting to separate them.
  • A later reply suggests that there is no known method to isolate individual quarks, mentioning a hypothetical scenario involving a "Big Rip."

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the existence of stable hadronic matter beyond nucleons, with multiple competing views and hypotheses presented throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about the nature of strong and electromagnetic forces, as well as the speculative nature of certain forms of matter like strangelets and the feasibility of isolating quarks.

Superposed_Cat
Messages
388
Reaction score
5
Hi, aside from nucleons is there any other stable (metastable doesn't count in this question) hadronic matter that could form 'exotic atoms' in a way? Thanks for any help.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Nucleons and nuclei (and their antipartners of course) are the only known stable hadronic objects.

Positronium as exotic atom consists of stable particles, but there is still annihilation as decay process.
 
Strangelets are a hypothetical form of baryonic matter composed of a combination of up, down and strange quarks. For now it is only hypothetical.
 
Do neutron stars count? They are stable hadronic objects.
 
hypothetically could a quark bind to a different particle via the electromagnetic force?
 
phyzguy said:
Do neutron stars count? They are stable hadronic objects.
Not purely hadronic.

Superposed_Cat said:
hypothetically could a quark bind to a different particle via the electromagnetic force?
Quarks always carry their color charge, and the strong interaction is much stronger than the electromagnetic interaction (at least at energy scales where bound states are possible).
 
Superposed_Cat said:
hypothetically could a quark bind to a different particle via the electromagnetic force?

Yes, they can bind to electrons; the result is called an atom.
 
but they are in baryonic form then, I am saying single quark isolated from any others so they don't bind and it binds to something else.
 
I kinda' thought all quarks have been inseparable since the strong force and energy levels allowed. And that trying to separate them worked against the strong force since its influence increases over distance, and the energy input into the attempt would create new quarks (pairs at minimum) before the strong force was overcome. So is there any way to isolate a single quark?
 
  • #10
TumblingDice said:
I kinda' thought all quarks have been inseparable since the strong force and energy levels allowed. And that trying to separate them worked against the strong force since its influence increases over distance, and the energy input into the attempt would create new quarks (pairs at minimum) before the strong force was overcome. So is there any way to isolate a single quark?
There is no known way to isolate individual quarks. A Big Rip, maybe.
 

Similar threads

High School Why does the nucleus become unstable as the number of nucleons increases?
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
5K
Undergrad Is Toponium a Reality Despite Top Quark's Rapid Decay?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Graduate Hadrons with significant branching ratios to muons
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad New Naming Rules for Exotic Hadrons at the LHC: LHCb Collaboration Paper (2022)
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Graduate Experimental nucleon form factors from electron-nucleus scattering
  • · Replies 29 ·
Replies
29
Views
3K
High School Why does Nickel-62 have the highest BEPN?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Undergrad Binding energy, fusion and fission
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
Undergrad Question about gluons and nucleon binding
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Undergrad How Does Binding Energy Relate to Nucleon Distance in Atomic Nuclei?
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
3K
High School Matter/antimatter hybrid atomic structures?
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
5K