Meson

Definition

A meson is a type of subatomic particle composed of one quark and one antiquark, bound together by the strong force. Mesons are unstable and can be found in high-energy processes such as cosmic ray interactions and particle collider experiments.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Mesons play a crucial role in mediating the strong nuclear force between nucleons.
2. The concept of mesons was first proposed by Hideki Yukawa in 1935 to explain the force binding protons and neutrons in an atomic nucleus.
3. Mesons have integral spin (0 or 1) and are classified as bosons.
4. Pions (π-mesons) are the lightest mesons and were the first to be discovered experimentally.
5. Meson lifetimes are generally very short, often on the order of $10^{-8}$ seconds or less.

Review Questions

• What particles make up a meson?
• Who proposed the existence of mesons and why?
• Why are mesons considered important in understanding nuclear forces?

Related terms

Quark: A fundamental constituent of matter that combines to form hadrons, such as protons, neutrons, and mesons.

Boson: A category of subatomic particles that includes mesons; characterized by having integer spin values.

Yukawa Potential: $$V(r) = -g^2 \frac{e^{-mr}}{r}$$ A potential used to describe interactions mediated by massive scalar fields, originally proposed to explain nuclear forces via pion exchange.