Unparticle
Encyclopedia
In theoretical physics
, Unparticle physics is a speculative theory that conjectures matter
that cannot be explained in terms of particles
using the Standard Model
of particle physics, because its components are scale invariant
.
Howard Georgi
proposed this theory in the spring of 2007 in the papers Unparticle Physics and Another Odd Thing About Unparticle Physics. His papers were followed by a steady flow of further investigations by many other researchers into the properties and phenomenology of unparticle physics and its potential impact on particle physics
, astrophysics
, cosmology
, CP violation
, lepton
flavour
violation, muon decay, neutrino oscillations, and supersymmetry
.
exist in states that may be characterized by a certain energy
, momentum
and mass
. In most of the Standard Model
of particle physics, particles of the same type cannot exist in another state with all these properties scaled up or down by a common factor – electron
s, for example, always have the same mass regardless of their energy or momentum. But this is not always the case: massless particles, such as photon
s, can exist with their properties scaled equally. This immunity to scaling is called "scale invariance".
The idea of unparticles comes from conjecturing that there may be "stuff" that does not necessarily have zero mass but is still scale-invariant, with the same physics regardless of a change of length (or equivalently energy). This stuff is unlike particles, and described as unparticle.
Such unparticle stuff has not been observed, which suggests that if it exists, it must couple with normal matter weakly at observable energies. Since the Large Hadron Collider
(LHC) announced it will begin probing a higher energy frontier in 2009, some theoretical physicists have begun to consider the properties of unparticle stuff and how it may appear in LHC experiments. One of the great hopes for the LHC is that it might come up with some discoveries that will help us update or replace our best description of the particles that make up matter and the forces that glue them together.
s, which have almost zero mass and are therefore nearly scale invariant. Neutrinos barely interact with matter – most of the time physicists can only infer their presence by calculating the "missing" energy and momentum after an interaction. By looking at the same interaction many times, a probability distribution
is built up that tells more specifically how many and what sort of neutrinos are involved. They couple very weakly to ordinary matter at low energies, and the effect of the coupling increases as the energy increases.
A similar technique could be used to search for evidence of unparticles. According to scale invariance, a distribution containing unparticles would become apparent because it would resemble a distribution for a fractional number of massless particles.
This scale invariant sector would interact very weakly with the rest of the Standard Model, making it possible to observe evidence for unparticle stuff, if it exists. The unparticle theory is a high-energy theory that contains both Standard Model fields and Banks–Zaks fields, which have scale-invariant behavior at an infrared point. The two fields can interact through the interactions of ordinary particles if the energy of the interaction is sufficiently high.
These particle interactions would appear to have "missing" energy and momentum that would not be detected by the experimental apparatus. Certain distinct distributions of missing energy would signify the production of unparticle stuff. If such signatures are not observed, bounds on the model can be set and refined.
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
, Unparticle physics is a speculative theory that conjectures matter
Matter
Matter is a general term for the substance of which all physical objects consist. Typically, matter includes atoms and other particles which have mass. A common way of defining matter is as anything that has mass and occupies volume...
that cannot be explained in terms of particles
Elementary particle
In particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a particle not known to have substructure; that is, it is not known to be made up of smaller particles. If an elementary particle truly has no substructure, then it is one of the basic building blocks of the universe from which...
using the Standard Model
Standard Model
The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory concerning the electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions, which mediate the dynamics of the known subatomic particles. Developed throughout the mid to late 20th century, the current formulation was finalized in the mid 1970s upon...
of particle physics, because its components are scale invariant
Scale invariance
In physics and mathematics, scale invariance is a feature of objects or laws that do not change if scales of length, energy, or other variables, are multiplied by a common factor...
.
Howard Georgi
Howard Georgi
Howard Mason Georgi III, born January 6, 1947 in San Bernardino, California, is Harvard College Professor and Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics at Harvard University...
proposed this theory in the spring of 2007 in the papers Unparticle Physics and Another Odd Thing About Unparticle Physics. His papers were followed by a steady flow of further investigations by many other researchers into the properties and phenomenology of unparticle physics and its potential impact on particle physics
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
, astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
, cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
, CP violation
CP violation
In particle physics, CP violation is a violation of the postulated CP-symmetry: the combination of C-symmetry and P-symmetry . CP-symmetry states that the laws of physics should be the same if a particle were interchanged with its antiparticle , and left and right were swapped...
, lepton
Lepton
A lepton is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. The best known of all leptons is the electron which governs nearly all of chemistry as it is found in atoms and is directly tied to all chemical properties. Two main classes of leptons exist: charged leptons , and neutral...
flavour
Flavour (particle physics)
In particle physics, flavour or flavor is a quantum number of elementary particles. In quantum chromodynamics, flavour is a global symmetry...
violation, muon decay, neutrino oscillations, and supersymmetry
Supersymmetry
In particle physics, supersymmetry is a symmetry that relates elementary particles of one spin to other particles that differ by half a unit of spin and are known as superpartners...
.
Background
All particlesElementary particle
In particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a particle not known to have substructure; that is, it is not known to be made up of smaller particles. If an elementary particle truly has no substructure, then it is one of the basic building blocks of the universe from which...
exist in states that may be characterized by a certain energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
, momentum
Momentum
In classical mechanics, linear momentum or translational momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object...
and mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
. In most of the Standard Model
Standard Model
The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory concerning the electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions, which mediate the dynamics of the known subatomic particles. Developed throughout the mid to late 20th century, the current formulation was finalized in the mid 1970s upon...
of particle physics, particles of the same type cannot exist in another state with all these properties scaled up or down by a common factor – electron
Electron
The electron is a subatomic particle with a negative elementary electric charge. It has no known components or substructure; in other words, it is generally thought to be an elementary particle. An electron has a mass that is approximately 1/1836 that of the proton...
s, for example, always have the same mass regardless of their energy or momentum. But this is not always the case: massless particles, such as photon
Photon
In physics, a photon is an elementary particle, the quantum of the electromagnetic interaction and the basic unit of light and all other forms of electromagnetic radiation. It is also the force carrier for the electromagnetic force...
s, can exist with their properties scaled equally. This immunity to scaling is called "scale invariance".
The idea of unparticles comes from conjecturing that there may be "stuff" that does not necessarily have zero mass but is still scale-invariant, with the same physics regardless of a change of length (or equivalently energy). This stuff is unlike particles, and described as unparticle.
Such unparticle stuff has not been observed, which suggests that if it exists, it must couple with normal matter weakly at observable energies. Since the Large Hadron Collider
Large Hadron Collider
The Large Hadron Collider is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is expected to address some of the most fundamental questions of physics, advancing the understanding of the deepest laws of nature....
(LHC) announced it will begin probing a higher energy frontier in 2009, some theoretical physicists have begun to consider the properties of unparticle stuff and how it may appear in LHC experiments. One of the great hopes for the LHC is that it might come up with some discoveries that will help us update or replace our best description of the particles that make up matter and the forces that glue them together.
Properties
Unparticles would have properties in common with neutrinoNeutrino
A neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with a half-integer spin, chirality and a disputed but small non-zero mass. It is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected...
s, which have almost zero mass and are therefore nearly scale invariant. Neutrinos barely interact with matter – most of the time physicists can only infer their presence by calculating the "missing" energy and momentum after an interaction. By looking at the same interaction many times, a probability distribution
Probability distribution
In probability theory, a probability mass, probability density, or probability distribution is a function that describes the probability of a random variable taking certain values....
is built up that tells more specifically how many and what sort of neutrinos are involved. They couple very weakly to ordinary matter at low energies, and the effect of the coupling increases as the energy increases.
A similar technique could be used to search for evidence of unparticles. According to scale invariance, a distribution containing unparticles would become apparent because it would resemble a distribution for a fractional number of massless particles.
This scale invariant sector would interact very weakly with the rest of the Standard Model, making it possible to observe evidence for unparticle stuff, if it exists. The unparticle theory is a high-energy theory that contains both Standard Model fields and Banks–Zaks fields, which have scale-invariant behavior at an infrared point. The two fields can interact through the interactions of ordinary particles if the energy of the interaction is sufficiently high.
These particle interactions would appear to have "missing" energy and momentum that would not be detected by the experimental apparatus. Certain distinct distributions of missing energy would signify the production of unparticle stuff. If such signatures are not observed, bounds on the model can be set and refined.