Cambridge Encyclopedia :: Cambridge Encyclopedia Vol. 72

strangeness

In particle physics, an internal additive quantum number conserved in strong and electromagnetic interactions, but not in weak interactions; symbol S. It was introduced during the 1930s to explain ‘strange’ reactions observed in cosmic ray experiments. Strange quarks are those having strangeness S = ?1; strange particles contain at least one strange quark.

Flavour in particle physics
Flavour quantum numbers Lepton number: L Baryon number: B Electric charge: Q Weak hypercharge: YW Weak isospin: Tz Isospin: I, Iz Hypercharge: Y Strangeness: S Charm: C Bottomness: B' Topness: T Y=B+S+C+B'+T Q=Iz+Y/2 Q=Tz+YW/2 B−L

Related topics:

CPT symmetry CKM matrix CP symmetry Chirality

In particle physics, strangeness denoted as S, is a property of particles, expressed as a quantum number for describing decay of particles in strong and electro-magnetic reactions, which occur in a short period of time.

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