Elementary Particles
In 1928, Paul
Dirac developed an equation for combining special relativity & quantum theory.
The solution contained an electron with positive energy and a positive electron
(positron) with negative energy. In 1930, Carl Anderson discovered the positron when he
was studying cosmic particles. Both Dirac
and Anderson were awarded Nobel Prizes for their discoveries. Dirac theorized for every particle there exists a
corresponding antiparticle that exactly matches the particle but with
opposite charge.
High Energy
Physicists have identified the following symmetrical building blocks and the force
carriers that compose the fundamental constituents of matter and antimatter as
shown below:
|
Matter Elementary Particles with Positive Energy |
νe
electron
neutrino |
νμ
muon
neutrino |
ντ
tau
neutrino |
u+2/3
up |
c+2/3
charm |
t+2/3
top |
e-
electron |
μ-
muon |
τ-
tau |
d-1/3
down |
s-1/3
strange |
b-1/3
bottom |
|
Force Carriers
|
γ
photon
|
g
gluons
|
Z
Z boson
|
W
-
&
W+
W bosons |
|
positron
e+ |
anti-muon
Aμ+
|
anti-tau
Aτ+ |
anti-down
Ad+1/3 |
anti-strange
As+1/3 |
anti-bottom
Ab+1/3 |
anti-electron neutrino
Aνe
|
anti-muon
neutrino
Aνμ |
anti-tau
neutrino
Aντ |
anti-up
Au-2/3 |
anti-charm
Ac-2/3 |
anti-top
At-2/3
|
|
AntiMatter (AMatter)
Elementary Particles with Negative Energy |
Antimatter is a mirror image of matter. Symmetry exist
between the elementary particles. A proton contains
2 up and 1 down quark; and anti-proton
contains 2 anti-up and 1 anti-down quarks.
Scientists at Fermilab
are searching for the Higgs boson(s).
After the discovery of the positron (1932), anti-proton
(1955), and anti-neutron (1956), Dirac speculated on the existence of anti-planets and anti-stars.
1 - 2 -
3
- 4 - 5 - 6
- 7 - 8 - 9
- 10 - 11
- 12
- 13 - 14 - 15
- 16 - 17
|