Conservation of Strangeness (outside of strong interactions)

In summary, strangeness is a quantum number that is conserved in strong interactions, but not necessarily in weak or electromagnetic interactions. It can also be violated in weak interactions, but not in strong or electromagnetic interactions.
  • #1
OJFord
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I realize that strangeness must only be conserved in strong interactions,

but if strangeness is conserved, must it be a strong interaction?I'm an A level student so please go easy.. mention spin, colour, charm, top or bottom and I'll know not where to look.
 
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  • #2
OJFord said:
I realize that strangeness must only be conserved in strong interactions,

but if strangeness is conserved, must it be a strong interaction?


I'm an A level student so please go easy.. mention spin, colour, charm, top or bottom and I'll know not where to look.

The electromagnetic interaction also conserves strangeness (conserves quark and lepton flavor in general), so no. Without specifying more details, we can't possibly determine which interactions are involved.

To complicate matters further, there are also weak interactions that conserve strangeness. If you know of the W and Z bosons, then interactions which involve exchange of W bosons change the flavor of quarks and leptons, while those that involve Z bosons do not.
 
  • #3
Excellent, thank you.

My textbook was just ambiguously worded - I wasn't sure if strangeness was only conserved in strong interactions, or if (as is the case) it's only in strong interactions that strangeness must be conserved.

You're answer clears that up, thanks.
 
  • #4
Simple example: There are many processes of the weak interaction without any strange quarks, so strangeness is 0 all the time, which means that it is conserved.

The weak interaction can violate strangeness (and all other interactions cannot), but it does not have to. The same is true for the other similar quantum numbers (charm, top, bottom - they are the same as strangeness, just for other quarks).
 

FAQ: Conservation of Strangeness (outside of strong interactions)

1. What is conservation of strangeness?

The conservation of strangeness is a fundamental principle in particle physics that states that the total strangeness of a system must remain constant over time, unless strong interactions are involved. Strangeness is a property of particles that determines their interaction with the strong nuclear force.

2. What is strangeness in particle physics?

Strangeness is a quantum property of particles that is related to their mass and electric charge. It is a measure of how much a particle differs from its antiparticle. Particles with strangeness have different decay patterns than particles without strangeness, and they can only be created or destroyed in pairs through the strong nuclear force.

3. Why is conservation of strangeness important?

The conservation of strangeness is important because it helps us understand and predict the behavior of particles in the universe. It is a fundamental principle that must be obeyed in all processes involving particles with strangeness, and it allows us to study the strong nuclear force and its interactions with other forces.

4. How is conservation of strangeness related to the strong nuclear force?

The strong nuclear force is the force responsible for holding particles together in the nucleus of an atom. It is the only force that can change the strangeness of a particle, meaning that the conservation of strangeness is only violated in processes involving the strong nuclear force. This makes it a crucial factor in understanding the behavior of nuclear particles.

5. Can strangeness be conserved in all interactions?

No, strangeness can only be conserved in interactions involving the strong nuclear force. In weak and electromagnetic interactions, strangeness can change, but the total strangeness of a system must still remain constant. This is why the conservation of strangeness is often referred to as "conservation of strangeness outside of strong interactions."

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