What is the history of the concept of strangeness in kaons?

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In summary, kaons are particles that contain strange quarks or antiquarks, which give them a property called "strangeness". This was originally a term used before the quark model existed, but it was later explained by the quark model and the strange quark was named after this property. The concept of "strangeness" is important in classifying particles and is conserved under strong interactions. The Wikipedia article on kaons provides more information on the history and meaning of "strangeness".
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ryanuser
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Hi
What makes kaons strange apart from the fact that they have strange particles in them?

Thanks
 
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Noting. A hadron, including strange quarks or antiquarks is called to carry "strangeness". It makes sense to classify particles according to their flavor, because flavor is conserved under the strong interaction (but of course not under weak interactions). "Strangeness" is a "charge-like" quantum number that is conserved as long as you neglect weak interactions.
 
  • #3
They were called strange (and got a "Strangeness number") at a time where the quark model did not exist yet, because they had an unexpected long lifetime. This got explained with the quark model and the quark was named after the particle property. To add some strangeness, the strange quark has a strangeness of minus one.
 
  • #4
Yeah, the negatively charged quarks all have also negative flavor ;-).
 
  • #5

Related to What is the history of the concept of strangeness in kaons?

1. What is a kaon and why is it called "strange"?

A kaon is a type of subatomic particle that belongs to the meson family. It is made up of a quark and an anti-quark, specifically a strange quark and an up or down anti-quark. It is called "strange" because it has a property called strangeness, which is a quantum number that distinguishes it from other particles.

2. How was the strangeness of kaons discovered?

The strangeness of kaons was discovered in the 1950s through experiments using cosmic rays. Physicists noticed that certain particles, including kaons, behaved in unexpected ways and were able to account for this behavior by introducing the concept of strangeness.

3. What role do kaons play in the Standard Model of particle physics?

Kaons play a crucial role in the Standard Model, which is the current theory that describes the fundamental particles and their interactions. They are used to explain certain symmetries and conservation laws, and their properties have been extensively studied to test the predictions of the Standard Model.

4. What makes kaons unique compared to other particles?

Kaons are unique because they have a relatively long lifetime compared to other particles, allowing them to travel farther before decaying. They also have a property called strangeness-changing weak decay, which means they can transform into other particles through the weak nuclear force.

5. How are kaons produced and detected in experiments?

Kaons are produced in high-energy particle collisions, such as those that occur in particle accelerators. They can be detected by observing their decay products, which can provide information about their properties and behavior. Other methods, such as scattering experiments, can also be used to study kaons.

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