In quantum mechanics, a boson (, ) is a particle that follows Bose–Einstein statistics. Bosons make up one of two classes of elementary particles, the other being fermions. The name boson was coined by Paul Dirac to commemorate the contribution of Satyendra Nath Bose, an Indian physicist and professor of physics at University of Calcutta and at University of Dhaka in developing, with Albert Einstein, Bose–Einstein statistics, which theorizes the characteristics of elementary particles.Examples of bosons are fundamental particles such as photons, gluons, and W and Z bosons (the four force-carrying gauge bosons of the Standard Model), the recently discovered Higgs boson, and the hypothetical graviton of quantum gravity. Some composite particles are also bosons, such as mesons and stable nuclei of even mass number such as deuterium (with one proton and one neutron, atomic mass number = 2), helium-4, and lead-208; as well as some quasiparticles (e.g. Cooper pairs, plasmons, and phonons).An important characteristic of bosons is that there is no restriction on the number of them that occupy the same quantum state. This property is exemplified by helium-4 when it is cooled to become a superfluid. Unlike bosons, two identical fermions cannot occupy the same quantum state. Whereas the elementary particles that make up matter (i.e. leptons and quarks) are fermions, the elementary bosons are force carriers that function as the 'glue' holding matter together. This property holds for all particles with integer spin (s = 0, 1, 2, etc.) as a consequence of the spin–statistics theorem.
When a gas of Bose particles is cooled down to temperatures very close to absolute zero, then the kinetic energy of the particles decreases to a negligible amount, and they condense into the lowest energy level state. This state is called a Bose–Einstein condensate. This property is also the explanation for superfluidity.
I don't really understand what it means to call a non-fundamental object a boson. For example, the helium atom. Its made of fermions, so wouldn't that prevent it from acting like a boson? If you can't have two protons, neutrons, or electrons occupy the same state, how could you have two...
Homework Statement
Show that when tree identical quadrupole phonons (boson) are coupled togheter, only states with total angular momentum 0,2,4 and 6 are allowed.
The Attempt at a Solution
I know "how" to do it, but i do not know how to couple three angular momenta.
In the case of...
Homework Statement
Consider two noninteracting particles p and q each with mass m in a cubical box od size a. Assume the energy of the particles is
E = \frac{3 \hbar^2 \pi^2}{2ma^2} + \frac{6\hbar^2 pi^2}{2ma^2}
Using the eigenfunctions
\psi_{n_{x},n_{y},n_{z}} (x_{p},y_{p},z_{p})
and...
Bosons, Fermions and ??
I have heard in wikipedia (a joke?? ) that appart from Bosons and Fermions (types of particles) there were another kind of 'Probabilistic distribution' ? i don't know how it was called but if we have the number of particles.
<n(T)>=\frac{1}{exp(\hbar \omega )-a}...
For my diploma thesis I must provide a calculation that reproduces the
results given on page 46 of the paper hep-ph/0309342 . For those who do
not want to look it up, I briefly explain what it is about: It concerns
the two-body scattering processes
(1) N + V => L + H,
(2) N + L => V + H,
(3) N...
Show that the symmetric combination of two single particle wavefunction
Gab(r1,r2)=Ga(r1)Gb(r2)+Ga(r2)Gb(r1)
where G is psi ( i don't have symbol on my computer)
displays the exchange symmetry characteristics of bosons (equation
G(r1,r2)=G(r2,r1))
Is it possible for two bosons...
Everytime a photon leaves an atom, the energy of that photon is matched by the increase in binding energy of that atom - right? If so would the change of energy in the form of radiation be equivalent to the change of binding energy?
Is the aggregate binding energy of particles in the...
Hi, I am having trouble understanding these concepts. I checked out some websites but it still doesn't help. First of all what's the main postulate? That there exist 2 different kind of particles: bosons and fermions? What are their fundamental definitions which lead to the fact that an integer...
I'm having some difficulties with the following problem:
Consider two (spinless)free bosons in a box of volume V with periodic boundary conditions. Let the momenta of the bosons be p and q.
a) Write down the normalized wavefunction for p is not equal to q and p = q.
\Psi_{pq}(r1,r2)
I...
Do we know for certain that bosons exist?
Do we have experimental evidence that bosons exist?
How in the world can bosons be real and yet not obey the pauli exclusion principle?
Does the fact that bosons do not obey the pauli exclusion principle mean that it is impossible to tell one...
A typical stat mech. question is the following: If I have 5 bosons and energy E to divide among the bosons, what is the total number of possible configurations?
I can't remember this answer, so if someone reading this can post it that would be appreciated.
Now, I want to ask a slightly...
OK, this is so unlike me to advertize a theory activity on Supersymmetry, etc. But as a community service, I thought I should point out to those who are interested, that the Argonne Theory Institute will be starting it's Theory Institute 2005 workshop titled "Supersymmetry, Extra Dimensions, and...
Hello all,
from Marlon's journal, I read the question "DO YOU KNOW WHY FORCE CARRIERS ARE ALWAYS BOSONS ? WHY DON'T WE HAVE GAUGE FERMIONS ?"
Can anyone answer this question? :redface:
A force carrier emitted over a very short distance between two particles would have a very large mass.Could it have a mass large enough to turn
the two body particle system into a three body system?
I've heard quite abit of things about bosons and am quite confused. The biggest thing which distinguishes fermions from bosons, would be Pauli's exclusion principle. But I've also heard things about bosons having half- integer, while fermions have interger spin, among many others. I've also...
The Standard Model defines Bosons, along with Fermions, as Fundamental Particles.
At the same time, Mesons, which include Bosons, are supposed to be a compound made up of a quark and an anti-quark.
So, which is it? Is a Boson a fundamental particle or a compound (ie.Hadron)?
Do boson anihilate?
This question was raised in my mind by a post on the Strings, Branes et al. board that had a link to a text describing gravitons anihilating and producing graviphotons. Aside from what you think of this model, what is the skinny on bosons anihilating?
Photons don't...
Why is it that when normal ordering the terms in the Hamiltonian for bosons, the commutation rules are ignored, but when normal ordering fermion operators the anti-commutation rules are used to justify a change in sign?