How Big is Big and How Small is Small by Timothy Paul Smith

Author:Timothy Paul Smith [Smith, Timothy Paul]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Published: 2013-01-19T22:00:00+00:00

In fact most atomic transitions are measured in nanoseconds or slower.

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If we want to find events in nature that happen faster than atomic transitions we need to look at things that are smaller than atoms. So we will look at the decay of exotic particles. In Table 8.1 I include a very short list of particles and their lifetimes. It is by no means exhaustive. I have selected these because they show trends.

The pions (π+, π−, π0) are related to the nuclear force. The sigma particles (∑+, ∑−, ∑0) are much like protons or neutrons except they have a strange-quark in them. The omega particle (Ω−) is made of just strange-quarks. The delta particles (Δ−− Δ− Δ0 Δ+) are like neutrons or protons with complex spins. We will talk more about these later.

Table 8.1 Exotic subnuclear particles; lifetimes, forces and decay.

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