From: Gene Thompson (gthompso@ccsf.cc.ca.us)
Date: Fri Jul 14 2000 - 16:25:35 PDT
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 16:25:35 -0700 (PDT) From: Gene Thompson <gthompso@ccsf.cc.ca.us> Subject: Re: pinhole Weak Force Interactions Message-ID: <Pine.HPX.4.21.0007141624280.29077-100000@fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us>
Thank you. That clears things up about as much as I expected, given the
field. I have got to super strings. I've been blocking it from my
consciousness for years, and do so everytime I see the term or read more
about it. This seems the only way to stay somewhat sane.
Ellen
On Fri, 14 Jul 2000 SFPhysics@aol.com wrote:
> Hello Ellen:
>
> I do not profess to have the correct answer but this is what I understand
> from a workshop at Stanford University given by the talented Dr. Erzeberger.
> If I have something wrong would someone please jump in corrections!
>
> > 1. What does the weak force DO? I always find it described in terms of
> > radiation given off in certain instances, but nothing to match the
> > descriptions of gravity, e-m, and the strong force. Do researchers know?
>
> The weak (electroweak) force holds particles together. It is the one seen
> acting on Fermions (Leptons and Quarks) within larger particles. All of the
> forces are the results of Boson force carriers and so is the weak (which uses
> W+, W-, and Z^0). The Fermions are defined by Flavors (Neapolitan to honor
> Fermi's native Italy). Take a Proton which is uud (2 up Quarks and 1 down)
> the Flavor is all chocolate so the Quarks can only be the up or down in the
> chocolate category of Fermion. You could not use another Quark such as the
> Charm or Strange in the vanilla category, or the Top or Bottom in the
> strawberry category to get a Proton. The Neutron is udd (1 up and 2 downs)
> again in chocolate category. If we wanted to make an Omega particle we could
> put 3 strange Quarks together; or, if we wanted something more exotic in the
> way of a particle we could mix and match 1 up, 1 down, and 1 strange for a
> Lambda particle.
>
> What seems to be current thinking is that the Protons or Neutrons are each
> held together by a weak (actually electroweak) force. A disturbance of the
> weak charge at a quantum level destabilizes the nucleus of radioactive atoms
> and they undergo spontaneous fission. That is how radioactivity is tied in
> with the weak force. Remember that where an Electron is is a probability so
> the Electron might even be in the nucleus or inside of a particle in the
> nucleus to cause the nucleus to come apart because it has a full charge of -1.
>
> One last thing that is really easy to understand is that Quarks have
> fractional charges so that the Proton (uud) is plus charged because 1 up
> Quark has a +2/3 charge with 1 down Quark having -1/3. So (+4/3) summed with
> (-1/3) gives +1. A Neutron (udd) is then (+2/3) summed with 2(-1/3) gives 0.
> So a Neutron supposedly with a charge of 0 still has the electroweak force
> doing its job inside.
>
> It is late and I still don't think I am being very clear. For a neat run
> through the subatomic world go to < http://pdg.lbl.gov/cpep/adventure.html > .
>
> 2. Some quantum theories have a chaos of particles or potential particles
> or probabilities coalescing into order. How's this relate to the second
> law of thermodynamics? Does it when we're so small? If not, why not?
>
> I am somewhat at a loss as to how to relate the two. Entropy and disorder
> may be OK with normal Newtonian Physics but on a subatomic level dealing with
> Quantum Mechanics there are no losses only changes and conversions.
> Probability is the determining factor. That chaos can have order or order
> can arise from chaos is an acceptable probability. Think of the Feynman
> Diagrams where nothing is lost or wasted. It conforms to the Law of
> Conservation of Matter/Energy.
>
> Wait until you get to the part about Super String Theory... ;-)
>
> confused, but still reading,
> Ellen Koivisto
> George Washington High School
> San Francisco
> >>
>
> I don't know if I have been of help or muddied things up. Just remember that
> a mind once stretched never returns to the same size!
>
> Regards,
>
> Al Sefl
> Whose waistline keeps stretching also................
>
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