Charge quantization from a number operator
We explain how an unexpected algebraic structure, the division algebras, can be seen to underlie a generation of quarks and leptons. From this new vantage point, electrons and quarks are simply excitations from the neutrino, which formally plays the role of a vacuum state. Using the ladder operators...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2015-03-01
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| Series: | Physics Letters B |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269315000337 |
| _version_ | 1818469612616941568 |
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| author | C. Furey |
| author_facet | C. Furey |
| author_sort | C. Furey |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We explain how an unexpected algebraic structure, the division algebras, can be seen to underlie a generation of quarks and leptons. From this new vantage point, electrons and quarks are simply excitations from the neutrino, which formally plays the role of a vacuum state. Using the ladder operators which exist within the system, we build a number operator in the usual way. It turns out that this number operator, divided by 3, mirrors the behaviour of electric charge. As a result, we see that electric charge is quantized because number operators can only take on integer values.Finally, we show that a simple hermitian form, built from these ladder operators, results uniquely in the nine generators of SUc(3) and Uem(1). This gives a direct route to the two unbroken gauge symmetries of the standard model. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:25:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-68f0af7aaf7e4fb186b80cece7928a48 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0370-2693 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:25:56Z |
| publishDate | 2015-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physics Letters B |
| spelling | doaj.art-68f0af7aaf7e4fb186b80cece7928a482022-12-22T02:29:19ZengElsevierPhysics Letters B0370-26932015-03-01742195199Charge quantization from a number operatorC. Furey0Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5, Canada; University of Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Correspondence to: Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5, Canada.We explain how an unexpected algebraic structure, the division algebras, can be seen to underlie a generation of quarks and leptons. From this new vantage point, electrons and quarks are simply excitations from the neutrino, which formally plays the role of a vacuum state. Using the ladder operators which exist within the system, we build a number operator in the usual way. It turns out that this number operator, divided by 3, mirrors the behaviour of electric charge. As a result, we see that electric charge is quantized because number operators can only take on integer values.Finally, we show that a simple hermitian form, built from these ladder operators, results uniquely in the nine generators of SUc(3) and Uem(1). This gives a direct route to the two unbroken gauge symmetries of the standard model.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269315000337 |
| spellingShingle | C. Furey Charge quantization from a number operator Physics Letters B |
| title | Charge quantization from a number operator |
| title_full | Charge quantization from a number operator |
| title_fullStr | Charge quantization from a number operator |
| title_full_unstemmed | Charge quantization from a number operator |
| title_short | Charge quantization from a number operator |
| title_sort | charge quantization from a number operator |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269315000337 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cfurey chargequantizationfromanumberoperator |