Class XII
Modern Physics
Particle Physics
Particles and Antiparticles
All particles have corresponding antiparticles. Antiparticles have same mass as
their particle but the opposite charge.
In electric field if a particle goes towards positive, antiparticle would go to
negative exactly mirroring the path and vice versa.
In magnetic field if one move in clockwise, the other would be anticlockwise
with radius and pitch remaining the same.
When the particle and antiparticle meet, they annihilate each other converting
their mass into electromagnetic radiation (two photons travelling in opposite
direction ensuring momentum is conserved(of zero)).
A photon can also change into a particle- antiparticle pair.
Antimatter, annihilation and pair production all build from Einstein’s famous
equation 𝐸 = 𝑚𝑐 2 . This shows mass is form of energy, allowing mass to
become photons and vice-versa.
Particle Antiparticle
Electron 𝑒 − , 𝛽 − positron 𝑒 + , 𝛽 +
Proton 𝑝 antiproton 𝑝ҧ
Neutron n antineutron 𝑛ത
Neutrino 𝜐𝑒 , 𝜐𝜇 , 𝜐𝜏 antineutrino 𝜐ഥ𝑒 , 𝜐𝜇 , 𝜐ഥ𝜏
Elementary Particles
The particles in nature which are structure less and cannot be broken into any
simpler forms are called elementary particles. They are found in earth , whole
universe and the cosmic rays.
Elementary Particles
Fermions Bosons
Lepton Quarks Gauge Boson Higg’s Boson
Electron 𝑒 − Up (u) Gluons
Electron neutrino (𝜐𝑒 ) Down (d) Photons
Muon (𝜇 − ) Charm (C ) W and Z bosons
Muon neutrino (𝜐𝜇 ) Strange ( s ) Gravitons
Taun (𝜏 − ) Top ( t)
Taun neutrino(𝜐𝜏 ) Bottom ( b )
Fermions Bosons
They have half integer spin i.e their spin They have integer spin i.e their spin
1
quantum number is ± . quantum number is ±1.
2
They do not obey Pauli exclusion
They obey Pauli exclusion principle.
principle.
They obey Fermi-Dirac statistics. They obey Bose- Einstein statistics.
Bosons are messenger particles. One of
They are building block of matter the interacting particle emits bosons
and these bosons are absorbed by other
interacting particles. Thus they mediate
interaction among particles.
Bosons Charge Force
Gluons are responsible to hold
protons inside a small confined space
Gluon (G) 0 Strong of nucleus in spite of heavy repulsive
force.
Gauge Boson
Electro- Photons are responsible for
Photon (𝜐) 0 electric and magnetic interaction
magnetic between charged particles.
𝑤 + Boson +e Weak W and Z bosons are responsible
𝑤 − Boson -e Weak for radioactive decay process
𝑧 0 Boson 0 Weak especially beta decays.
Graviton (𝐺) 0 Gravitational
Higg’s Boson is supposed to explain the origin of mass.
Leptons Charge
Electron (𝑒 − ) -1
Muon (𝜇 − ) -1
Taun (𝜏 − ) -1
e- neutrino (𝜐𝑒 ) 0
𝜇-neutrino (𝜐𝜇 ) 0
𝜏-neutrino (𝜐𝜏 ) 0
Leptons are light particles. Each particle has antiparticle. Leptons
interact through electromagnetic , gravitational and weak nuclear
forces but does not through strong nuclear forces.
Quarks Charge Antiquarks Charge
+2 −2
Up (u) 𝑒 Anti-up (തu) 𝑒
3 3
−1 +1
Down (d) 𝑒 Anti-down (𝑑)ҧ 𝑒
3 3
+2 −2
Charm (c) 𝑒 Anti-charm (തc) 𝑒
3 3
−1 +1
Strange (s) 𝑒 Anti-strange (തs) 𝑒
3 3
+2 −2
Top (t) 𝑒 Anti-top (t)ҧ 𝑒
3 3
−1 +1
Bottom (b) 𝑒 ത
Anti-bottom (b) 𝑒
3 3
Quark is a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks interact through strong
nuclear force. Single quark cannot exist freely and they always come in
combination in such a way that quantization of charge is not violated.
Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons. Hadrons have a
net integral electric charge. They have no net color charge even through quarks
themselves carry color charge.
Hadrons heavy particles made of quarks
Baryons hadrons made of three quarks Mesons
hadrons made of one quark and
one antiquark, very unstable
Nucleons Hyperons
Lightest Baryons Heavy Baryons
Nucleons Charge Spin Quark
1
Proton (p) +𝑒 uud
2
1
antiproton (തp) -𝑒 uത uത dത
2
1
neutron (n) 0 udd
2
1
antineutron (തn) 0 uത dത dത
2
Hyperons Charge Spin Quark
1
Lambda Λ 0 0 𝑢𝑑𝑠
2
1
Sigma Σ + +e 𝑢𝑢𝑠
2
1
Σ0 0
2
𝑢𝑑𝑠
1
Σ− -e
2
𝑑𝑑𝑠
1
Xi Ξ0 0
2
𝑢𝑠𝑠
1
Ξ− -e
2
𝑑𝑠𝑠
1
Omega Ω− -e 2
𝑠𝑠𝑠
Mesons Charge Spin Quark
Pion Π + +e 0 𝑢dത
Π0 o 0 𝑢തu , 𝑑 dത
Π− -e 0 uത 𝑑
Kaon 𝐾 + +e 0 usҧ
𝐾− -e 0 uത 𝑠
Eta 𝜂0 0 0 ത 𝑠sҧ
uതu, 𝑑d,
Baryons Mesons
Each baryon is combination of three Each meson is combination of a quark
quarks. and antiquark.
They have half integer spin i.e their spin They have zero spin i.e their spin
1
quantum number is ± . quantum number is 0.
2
They do not obey Pauli exclusion
They obey Pauli exclusion principle.
principle.
They obey Fermi-Dirac statistics. They obey Bose- Einstein statistics.
Hadrons Quark combination Charge
Proton uud +2
𝑒+
+2
𝑒 +
−1 𝑒 = +e
3 3 3
Antiproton uത uത dത
Neutron udd
Antineutron uത dത dത
Lambda Λ0 𝑢𝑑𝑠
Sigma Σ+ 𝑢𝑢𝑠
Σ0 𝑢𝑑𝑠
Σ− 𝑑𝑑𝑠
Xi Ξ0 𝑢𝑠𝑠
Ξ− 𝑑𝑠𝑠
Omega Ω− 𝑠𝑠𝑠
Pion Π+ 𝑢dത
Π0 𝑢തu , 𝑑dത
Π− uത 𝑑
Kaon 𝐾+ uതs
𝐾− uത 𝑠
Eta 𝜂0 ത 𝑠തs
uതu, 𝑑 d,
