Through knowledge of elementary particles, as well as their properties and interactions, it is possible to understand more and better the history and evolution of the universe.
Elementary particles is the expression used to identify the most basic components of matter . These units that lack structure inside and do not include simpler elements in their composition are the object of study of those who specialize in particle physics .
Taking the Standard Model as a guide, today elementary particles are segmented into two large sets: one is that of fermions and the other is that of bosons .
When it comes to discovering their particularities, their interactions and other relevant data about them, the research, experimentation and study work carried out by experts from laboratories such as the one known as CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) is of utmost importance. or the so-called Fermilab .
Classification of elementary particles
As we mentioned above, an elementary particle , depending on its characteristics, can be considered a fermion or a boson .
From the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) it is indicated that fermions are particles of an elementary nature whose intrinsic angular momentum ( spin ) only reaches semi-integer values (as happens with protons , neutrons and with each electron ). In that same source, the boson is presented as the type of elementary particle with the ability to exert interaction between fermions .
The photon (which is indicated as a mediator against all kinds of electromagnetic interaction ), the gluon (a particle that carries, according to the theory, the strong interaction ), the graviton (a hypothetical particle that could mediate interactions marked by the gravitational force ) and the Higgs boson , as well as the W boson and the Z boson are part of the group of bosons , where the rule called the Pauli exclusion principle is not fulfilled but the Bose-Einstein statistics do govern. Hence, a state of matter called Bose-Einstein condensate is observed in them.
Before concluding the issue of categorization, it is enriching to refocus attention on fermions in order to add interesting information. In this family, for example, the lepton appears, a particle that has no color charge . There are six varieties of leptons : electron leptons such as the electron neutrino and the electron ; muon leptons such as the muon neutrino and the muon ; and tauonic leptons such as the tau neutrino and the tauon . Each of them has its corresponding antiparticle . There are, on the other hand, fermions of an elemental nature and massive scope that are identified by the name of quarks . These, which are capable of interacting with all the fundamental forces , manage to constitute hadrons when they are held together thanks to the strong interaction .
The theory defines a subatomic particle as tiny components of matter, the smallest constituents (being elementary particles or composite particles), which reach a size smaller than the atom.
Different types of quarks are recognized, which is why specialists appealed to the categories of up quark , down quark , charm quark , strange quark , top quark and bottom quark. ) to distinguish them.
Discoveries
Throughout History there have been several discoveries about particles that have been of immense value to those who strive to understand and find out issues and phenomena that occur in the universe.
The British mathematician and physicist Peter Higgs , for example, was able to win a Nobel Prize in Physics for his great scientific contributions. His surname has been forever recorded in the scientific field because it was immortalized in the Higgs boson after Peter 's work to explain, together with some of his colleagues, how the mass of each elementary particle arises. The prediction he made from theory, decades later, could be confirmed and proven with tests at the LHC ( Large Hadron Collider ) .
Years ago, it was also possible to measure the mass corresponding to the so-called top quark with an acceptable level of precision. This achievement is vital to improve knowledge related to the standard model and the behavior or future of the universe . Although we must continue working on the issue, it is crucial to decipher exactly the mass of the top quark in order to determine whether, in the long term, the universe would lose stability and be at risk of disappearing as a result of a shocking event similar to the Big Bang .
It is believed that in the visible universe practically all matter is presented in neutrinos. Also, leaving aside dark matter, it is considered that there are a large number of photons and elements that carry force and lack mass.
Importance of elementary particles
Accumulating knowledge about elementary particles and continuing to inspect them translates into advances linked to cosmology , physics and other fields of study where the most basic components of matter gain prominence.
In practice, to indicate a specific case as a reference, the positron is used in the field of nuclear medicine to be able to make medical diagnoses by subjecting the patient to a positron emission tomography (PET) . It cannot be overlooked that this elementary particle , included in the set of antimatter , is considered the antiparticle of the electron . Both electrons and positrons are used by scientists to carry out experiments in a particle accelerator .