Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: Question On Proton Decay.

In a message dated 5/8/2003 6:39:47 PM Eastern Standard Time, jlu@HEP.ANL.GOV
writes:


I don't understand the question. Fractional charges are not observed in
nature. Other than that, you will need an expert on SU(5) modeling, which
I am not

The fractional charges are for the hypothetical leptoquark bosons of SU(5).
They are not color neutral. The decay process involves the exchange of these
virtual vector bosons within a proton, so there are no issues with unconfined
fractionally charged particles which I agree NEVER occur as free particles
except possibly above the phase change energy level for QCD. ( BTW some
versions of string theory do predict unconfined fractionally charged
particles but for what it's worth (not much) I think nature doesn't work that
way).

The leptoquark vector bosons are

X -4/3 e color charge

X +4/3e anticolor charge

Y -1/3e color charge

Y +1/3e anti color charge

They decay as

X(-4/3) to AntiU +antiU or d + e

X (-1/3) to (anti)U +(anti)d or d+ v_e

Notice how unlike any other bosons in nature the decay modes include either
2 particles or 2 anti particles. All mesons are composite quark anti-quark
particles and the W and Z bosons always decay into particle and antiparticle.
Also note how each leptoquark boson has two decay branches. A slight favoring
of particle decay modes over anti particle decay modes might explain why
there isn't a whole lot of anti matter hanging around.
I will write some physicists more directly involved in the search for
proton decay and with their permission post their responses back to the list.
In any case, thank you very much for taking time on this.

Bob Zannelli