SU(3) Flavor Symmetry in Quark Model

Sitthichai Pinkanjanarod

Chulalongkorn University
quazact@gmail.com

February 26, 2018

Sitthichai Pinkanjanarod (CU) SU(3) Flavor Symmetry February 26, 2018 1 / 20

Outline

1 Introduction
2 Review
Isospin
Strangeness
3 Introduction to SU(3) Flavor symmetry
Multiplets Diagrams
Quark Hypothesis
SU(3) Flavor Symmetry
4 Combining SU(3) states
uds Meson Multiplets
uds Baryon Multiplets
5 Conclussion and Discussion

Sitthichai Pinkanjanarod (CU) SU(3) Flavor Symmetry February 26, 2018 2 / 20

Introduction
View of the particle world as of early 20th Century.
Zoo of Particles are found

Hadrons are not elementary. Early experimental evidence:

neutron magnetic moment µn = −1.91µN (6= 0)
There must be substructure inside n
From deep inelastic scattering, the result indicates that there are 3
spin-1/2 point-like objects inside nucleons, later called “quarks”.
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Review: Isospin

isospin = quantum number used to classify a group of hadrons with

same spin, similar masses into the same isospin multiplet, for example
 
nucleons N ≡ |I , I3 i → p =  12 , 12 , n =  21 , − 12
 

pions Π ≡ |I , I3 i → π + = |1, 1i , π 0 = |1, 0i , π − = |1, −1i

consider
(a) π + + p → π + + p , (b) π − + p → π − + p , (c) π − + p → π 0 + n
introduce isospin to describe hadrons collision
  
π + + p : |1, 1i  21 , 12 =  32 , 32

   q 
π − + p : |1, −1i  12 , 12 = √13  32 , − 12 − 23  12 , − 12
 

   q 
π 0 + n : |1, 0i  12 , − 12 = √13  23 , − 12 + 23  21 , − 12
 

σa : σb : σc ≈ 9 : 1 : 2

confirmed by experiment (Fermi et al. 1951 )

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Review: Isospin cont.

Isospin has the same algebra as spin: SU(2)

nothing to do with spin just the same mathematics
22 − 1 = 3 group generators Ta , a = 1, 2, 3
obey [Ta , Tb ] = 2iabc Tc
Ta = σ2a where σa are Pauli matrices
     
0 1 0 −i 1 0
σ1 = , σ2 = , σ3 =
1 0 i 0 0 −1
T 2 |I , I3 i = I (I + 1) |I , I3 i
T3 |I , I3 i = I3 |I , I3 i , where I3 = −I , ..., I
p
T± |I , I3 i = (I ∓ I3 )(I ± I3 + 1) |I , I3 ± 1i
with T± = T1 ± iT2

T+ n = p, T− n = 0, T− p = n and T+ p = 0

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Review: Strangeness
In 1947, G. Rochester and C.Butler observed a new class of hadrons

Produced via Strong Interaction

π − + p → K 0 + Λ : τ = O(10−23 s)
But decay by Weak Interaction
K 0 → π + + π − : τK 0 = 0.89 × 10−10 s
Λ → π − + p : τΛ = 2.63 × 10−10 s
Strangeness of the decay can be expressed as a strange quantum
number
conserved during strong and EM interaction
not in weak interaction
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Multiplets Diagrams

Diagrams shows a group of mesons (LHS) and that of baryons (RHS)

ploted by using Strangness vs Isospin

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Quark Hypothesis
The multiplets diagrams can be described by quark model of hadron proposed by
M. Gell-Mann and G. Zweig in 1964.

generalize strangeness to hypercharge, in this case, Y = S + B

where B is baryon no.
a quantum number relating the strong int. of the SU(3) model
the center of charge of the multiplet is Y2 = Qmin +Q
2
max

mesons = q q̄ and baryons = qqq

Sitthichai Pinkanjanarod (CU) SU(3) Flavor Symmetry February 26, 2018 8 / 20
SU(3) Flavor Symmetry

Same physics under interchanges between flavors of quarks

e.g. in the limit that mu ≈ md ≈ ms , τπ0 s ≈ τκ0 s
The assumed uds flavour symmetry can be expressed as
 0     
u u U11 U12 U13 u
d 0  = Û d  = U21 U22 U23  d 
s0 s U31 U32 U33 s
The 3x3 unitary matrix depends on 9 complex numbers, i.e. 18 real
parameters. There are 9 constraints from Û † Û = 1
form 18 − 9 = 9 linearly independent matrices
These 9 matrices form a U(3) group
under additional condition detÛ = 1,
the remaining 8 matrices form an SU(3) group
32 − 1 = 8 group generators Ta = λ2a , a = 1, 2, 3, ..., 8

Sitthichai Pinkanjanarod (CU) SU(3) Flavor Symmetry February 26, 2018 9 / 20

SU(3) Flavor Symmetry cont.
group generators λa associated with exchanges between each pair of
flavor of quark take theforms:    
0 1 0 0 −i 0 1 0 0
u↔d λ1 = 1 0 0 λ2 =  i 0 0 λ3 = 0 −1 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
     
0 0 1 0 0 −i 1 0 0
u↔s λ4 = 0 0 0 λ5 = 0 0 0 λx = 0 0 0
1 0 0 i 0 0 0 0 −1
     
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
d ↔s λ6 = 0 0 1 λ7 = 0 0 −i  λy = 0 1 0
0 1 0 0 i 0 0 0 −1
However the three diagonal matrices are not be independent.
Define the
 eighth matrix,
 λ8 , as the 
 linear combination:
 
1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
λ8 = √1 0 0 0 + √1 0 1 0 = √1 0 1 0 .
3 3 3
0 0 −1 0 0 −1 0 0 −2
λa
all generators obey [Ta , Tb ] = 2ifabc Tc where Ta = 2
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SU(3) Flavor Symmetry cont.2
Only two quantum numbers are needed to specify a state : (I3 , Y )

with the eight Gell-Mann matrices

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uds Meson Multiplets

mesons are made of quark q(3) and antiquark q̄(3̄) as shown in the weight
diagramm above
product of a triplet and an antitriplet can be determined by replacing
each vertex of the triplet with a whole antitriplet structure
for the repeated vertices joining into a group, one vertex can be
excluded forming a new state
excluded diagrams represent new multiplets resulting from the product
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uds Meson Multiplet cont.

A product of a triplet of quarks and an antitriplet of antiquarks

3 ⊗ 3̄ = 8 ⊕ 1 results in a meson octet and a meson singlet

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uds Baryon Multiplets

Simmilarly complete multiplet diagrams for baryons consisting of a usd

quarks are given by

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uds Baryon Octet

According to SU(3) flavor symmetry, a diagram of uds baryon octet was

formed consisting of

mN < mΣ < mΞ
must be a “broken” symmetry

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uds Baryon Decuplet

In early 1960’s, a diagram of unknown baryon multiplet was formed,

consisting of 9 members
but according to 3 ⊗ 3 ⊗ 3 = 1 ⊕ 8 ⊕ 8 ⊕ 10,
there must be a decuplet with 10 members instead of 9.
So, one missing particle.

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uds Baryon Decuplet cont.

With a knowledge of SU(3) flavor symmetry

The missing Ω− was predicted with mΩ− ≈ 1.68GeV
Later in 1964, Ω− was discovered from exp. at Brookhaven with
mΩ− = 1.686GeV (recent accepted value 1.672GeV )!!!
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Conclussion

Using quark hypothesis and SU(3) flavor symmetry we can explain

uds meson and baryon multiplets

mesons in the multiplet = q q̄

uds meson octet is formed by a product between
uds triplet and ū d¯s̄ antitriplet

baryons in the multiplet = qqq

ud baryon octet is formed by a product of 3 ud triplet
uds baryon decuplet is formed by a product of 3 uds triplet

Sitthichai Pinkanjanarod (CU) SU(3) Flavor Symmetry February 26, 2018 18 / 20

Discussion

Successes of 1960s Quark Model:

classify all known (early 1960s) particles in terms of 3 building blocks.
predict new hadrons (e.g. Ω− ).
explain why certain particles dont exist (e.g. baryons with S = +1).
explain/predict magnetic moments of mesons and baryons.
Failures of the 1960’s model:
No evidence for free quarks
(fixed up by Quantum Chromodynammics or QCD)
Pauli principle violated
Λ++ = uuu
(fixed up by introducing color quantum number in QCD)
What holds quarks together in a proton ? (gluons! in QCD)
How many flavors of quarks are there?(6?)

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References

Greiner, Muller: Quantum Mechanics-Symmetries,

Springer-Verlag,1992

Thomson: Particle Physics, Part III Major Option, Cambridge

University, 2009

Heywood, Lectures in Symmetries and Conservation Laws, University

of London (Brunel, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway and UCL), 2017-18
Intercollegiate Postgraduate Course in Particle Physics

Huber, An Introduction to the Quark Model, Prairie Universities

Physics Seminar Series, November, 2009

Shapiro, The Quark Model and SU(3)flavor,

http://physics.lbl.gov/shapiro/Physics226,2016

Thank you for your attention

Sitthichai Pinkanjanarod (CU) SU(3) Flavor Symmetry February 26, 2018 20 / 20