Understanding Meson Mixed States & Why They Don't Use Imaginary Phase

[tzimie]

Why mesons mixed states are defined as SOMETHING +/- SOMETHING [+/- SOMETHING] normalized by 1/sqrt(2) or 1/sqrt(3), So the sum uses quotient +1 or -1.

But in electroweak symmetry breaking charged W boson is defined as W1 (+/-) i*W2, so the quotient is +i or -i. So why mesons never use imaginary phase?

 

[Gavin Gong]

mesons mix due to direct product of two $SU(2)_f$ or $SU(3)_f$ representation, while W boson mix is due to the sum of two pauli matrices $\sigma_1$ and $\sigma_2$(which is Imaginary).

So the reason is they are generated by the defferent mechanism.