Which fermions are chiral besides neutrinos?

In summary, Wen's local bosonic emergent string net model states that it can give rise to electrons and photons, quarks and gluons, but not chiral fermions. The model may still be promising if it can provide an explanation for the masses and mixing angles of all Standard Model particles except for neutrinos. However, it is unclear why this model cannot account for neutrinos, as all fermions are considered chiral due to their participation in the weak interaction. This may be due to a different definition of "chiral" used by Wen. Additionally, the weak force does interact differently with left-handed and right-handed electrons and quarks.
  • #1
ensabah6
695
0
Wen local bosonic emergent string net model states he can give rise to electrons and photons, quarks and gluons but not chiral fermions.

I know neutrinos are chiral. Any other fermions?

If he can provide an explanation for masses and mixing angles for all SM particles except neutrinos, I'd say his model is off to a good start.
 
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  • #2
To my knowledge, all fermions are chiral because all fermions participate in weak interaction, which only couples to one chirality.
 
  • #3
hamster143 said:
To my knowledge, all fermions are chiral because all fermions participate in weak interaction, which only couples to one chirality.

So why does Wen state he can give rise to electrons and quarks using string net condensation, but not neutrinos b/c neutrinos are chiral?
 
  • #4
Beats me. Ask Wen :) Maybe he has a different non-standard definition of 'chiral'.
 
  • #5
hamster143 said:
Beats me. Ask Wen :) Maybe he has a different non-standard definition of 'chiral'.

So if all fermions are chiral, does a left-handed electron or quark interact differently through the weak force than a right-handed electron?
 
  • #6
Yes.
 

What are fermions?

Fermions are a type of elementary particle that make up matter. They are considered the building blocks of the universe and include particles such as quarks, electrons, and neutrinos.

What does it mean for a fermion to be chiral?

A fermion is considered chiral if it has a distinct handedness, or spin orientation. This means that the particle's spin is either parallel or antiparallel to its direction of motion.

Which fermions are considered chiral besides neutrinos?

The only known fermions that are chiral are neutrinos. However, there are theories that suggest other particles, such as sterile neutrinos, may also exhibit chirality.

How do we know that neutrinos are chiral?

The chirality of neutrinos was first observed in experiments that measured the helicity of the particles. Helicity is a measure of the projection of a particle's spin onto its direction of motion. Neutrinos were found to have a left-handed helicity, indicating their chirality.

Why is the chirality of fermions important in particle physics?

The chirality of fermions plays a crucial role in the Standard Model of particle physics. It is a fundamental property that helps explain the behavior and interactions of particles. Understanding the chirality of fermions also has implications for theories beyond the Standard Model, such as supersymmetry.

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