Elementary Fermions Research Articles

Quantum number conservation: a tool in the design and analysis of high energy experiments

The Clifford Unification algebra Cl 7,7 is shown to provide a unified description of all the elementary fermions and hadrons in terms of seven binary quantum numbers. Four of these are defined in existing theories, namely spin-direction, fermion/anti-fermion pairing and the two commuting generators in the SU(3) description of quark colour. A Cl 3,3 sub-algebra integrates the Cl 1,3 space-time and Dirac algebras providing a new definition of time direction and identifying parity as a new quantum number. A further two quantum numbers are related to the commuting generators of an SU(3) description of fermion generations. All seven are conserved in the decays and interactions of charged particles, suggesting that quantum number conservation provides a useful tool in the design and interpretation of high energy experiments. This is especially relevant when neutral particles and parity are involved.

Ultraheavy atomic dark matter freeze-out through rearrangement

Atomic dark matter is usually considered to be produced asymmetrically in the early Universe. In this work, we first propose that the symmetric atomic dark matter can be thermally produced through the freeze-out mechanism. The dominant atom antiatom annihilation channel is the atomic rearrangement. It has a geometrical cross section much larger than that of elementary fermions. After the atomic formation, this annihilation process further depletes dark matter particles and finally freezes out. To give the observed dark matter relic, the dark atoms are naturally ultraheavy, ranging from 106 to 1010 GeV. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

On the symmetries of elementary fermions

This paper deals with the symmetries of elementary fermions and their derivation from fundamental physical principles such as the Lorentz invariance and from the spinor-helicity formalism employed to three-vectors. The generators of the Lorentz group are discussed, and the physics of the associated chiral spins is used to establish the chiral symmetry SU(2). The helicity of spin is defined which, when being applied to the hadronic isospin, yields the symmetry group SU(4). The Kronecker product of these two basic symmetries defines a unified symmetry SU(2)⊗SU(4)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$SU(2) \\otimes SU(4)$$\\end{document} of the basic light fermions, namely the chiral doublets of the single lepton and triple quarks of the first family. Breaking this symmetry, according to mechanisms that are used in the electroweak interactions of the Standard Model (SM) of quantum field theory, yields quantum electrodynamics (QED) with symmetry group U(1), weak interactions with symmetry group SU(2), and what we like to name quantum hadrodynamics (QHD, akin to quantum chromodynamics QCD of the SM) with symmetry group SU(3). The gauge bosons associated with QED and QHD remain massless, but the weak bosons and the V bosons, related to the transformation of the quarks into a lepton and vice versa, become massive by the Higgs mechanism. Their masses are defined by the Higgs vacuum and the two coupling constants involved in the unified model. The V-boson mass is predicted to be 35.4 GeV. Furthermore, a possible explanation of hadron confinement is given in terms of the two hadronic charge operators. Moreover, the concept of hypercharge as used in the SM is not needed. Various versions of the extended Dirac equation that include the above symmetry groups are derived.

Probing exotic phases via stochastic gravitational wave spectra

Abstract Stochastic backgrounds of gravitational waves (GWs) from the pre-BBN era offer a unique opportunity to probe the universe beyond what has already been achieved with the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). If the source is short in duration, the low frequency tail of the resulting GW spectrum follows a universal frequency scaling dependent on the equation of state of the universe when modes enter the horizon. We demonstrate that the distortion of the equation of state due to massive particles becoming non-relativistic can lead to an observable dip in the GW spectrum. To illustrate this effect, we consider a first order chiral symmetry breaking phase transition in the weak-confined Standard Model (WCSM). The model features a large number of pions and mostly elementary fermions with masses just below the critical temperature for the phase transition. These states lead to a 20% dip in the GW power. We find potential sensitivity to the distortions in the spectrum to future GW detectors such as LISA, DECIGO, BBO, and μAres.

Mass and Size Characterization of FRACEP Composite Elementary Fermions

Mass and Size Characterization of FRACEP Composite Elementary Fermions

Quantum entanglement dynamics of spacetime and matter

It was known long ago that quantum theory and general relativity are in sharp conflict in their foundations. Their fundamental inconsistencies render a consistent theory of quantum gravity the most challenging problem in physics. Here we propose an information-complete quantum field theory (ICQFT), which describes elementary fermions, their gauge fields, and gravity (together, called the trinary fields) as an elementary trinity without any conceptual inconsistency of existing theories. The ICQFT unifies matter and spacetime (gravity) as information via spacetime-matter entanglement, which encodes complete physical predictions of the theory and leads to a compelling solution to the problem of time. We consider two particular forms of spacetime-matter entangled states and their physical consequences. One of them results in a universal relation between entanglement entropy and geometry (area and volume), allowing us to determine the cosmological constant term in the classical Einstein equation. Based on a quantum-information definition of dark energy, our Universe is not strictly holographic. We predict the interior quantum state of a Schwarzschild black hole to be maximally information-complete. As a concrete quantum formulation of gravity coupled with matter, the ICQFT is quantum entanglement dynamics for spacetime and matter and eliminates the conceptual obstacles of existing quantum gravity theory.

On free fall of fermions and antifermions

We propose a model describing spin-half quantum particles in curved spacetime in the framework of quantum field theory. Our model is based on embodying Einstein’s equivalence principle and general covariance in the definition of quantum-particle states. With this model at hand, we compute several observables which characterise spin-half quantum particles in a gravitational field. In particular, we find that spin precesses in a normal Fermi frame, even in the absence of torsion. The effect appears to be complementary to free-fall non-universality we have recently reported about for spinless quantum particles. Furthermore, we find that quantum-particle gravitational-potential energy is insensitive to wave-packet spreading in the Earth’s gravitational field, that is responsible for the non-universality of free fall in quantum theory. This theoretical result provides another channel for the experimental study of our quantum-particle model by using gravitational spectrometers. Finally, we also find that (elementary) fermions and antifermions are indistinguishable in gravity.

Vacuum misalignment in presence of four-Fermi operators

We consider the issue of vacuum misalignment induced by four-Fermi couplings in a generic strongly coupled four-dimensional gauge theory. After briefly reviewing the general formalism, we focus on the case of partial compositness-like operators at leading order, which is relevant in applications to phenomenology. We show that the interactions between an elementary fermion and composite spin-1/2 operators in various representations contribute to the effective potential with relative sign differences. Thus the correct sign required to misalign the vacuum is guaranteed to occur for some representations but not all of them. The overall sign dictating the specific representations responsible for misalignment can in principle be determined on the lattice. We also comment on the likely sign for some simple cases.

Elementary Particle Masses: Alternative Model to the BEH Mechanism

In a first paper [1], we developed a model to calculate the masses of charged leptons by quantifying the electrostatic field generated by these particles. In a second article [2], we extended this model to weak and strong interactions in order to calculate the masses of all elementary fermions. The present paper is a modified version of the second article, adding a hypothesis on the mass of dark matter particles. In this way, the model could be an alternative to the BEH mechanism of the standard model.      

Elementary particle non-perturbative mass generation. A step towards a beyond-the-Standard-Model model

We show that a recently discovered non-perturbative field-theoretical mechanism giving mass to elementary fermions, is also capable of generating a mass for the weak bosons, when the model is extended to encompass weak interactions, and can thus be used as a viable alternative to the Higgs scenario. A detailed analysis of this remarkable feature shows that the non-perturbatively generated fermion and W masses have the parametric form mf∼Cf(α)ΛRGI and MW∼gwcw(α)ΛRGI, respectively, where the coefficients Cf(α) and cw(α) are functions of the gauge couplings, gw is the weak coupling and ΛRGI is the RGI scale of the theory. In view of these expressions, we see that to match the experimental values of the top quark and W masses, we are led to conjecture the existence of a yet unobserved sector of massive fermions (that we denote Tera-fermions) subjected, besides ordinary Standard Model interactions, to a super-strong gauge interactions (Tera-interactions), so that the full theory (SM plus Tera-particles) will have an RGI scale ΛRGI≡ΛT≫ΛQCD in the TeV region. This approach offers a solution of the Higgs mass naturalness problem (there is no fundamental Higgs), an understanding of the fermion mass hierarchy and a physical interpretation of the electro-weak scale as a fraction of ΛT.

Testing a conjecture on quantum chromodynamics

A Planck-scale model that includes quantum chromodynamics and goes beyond it, is tested against observations. The model is based on a single fundamental principle. Starting with Dirac’s proposal describing spin [Formula: see text] particles as tethered objects, quarks and elementary fermions are conjectured to be fluctuating rational tangles with unobservable tethers. Such tangles obey the free Dirac equation. Classifying rational tangles naturally yields the observed spectrum of elementary fermions, including the six quark types and their quantum numbers. Classifying tangle deformations naturally yields exactly three types of gauge interactions, three types of elementary gauge bosons, and the symmetry groups U(1), broken SU(2) and SU(3). The possible rational tangles for quarks, leptons, Higgs and gauge bosons allow only the observed Feynman diagrams. The complete Lagrangian of the standard model — without any modification and including the Lagrangian of quantum chromodynamics — arises in a natural manner. Over 90 experimental consequences and tests about quark and gluon behavior are deduced from the single fundamental principle. No consequence is in contrast with observations. The consequences of the strand conjecture include the complete quark model for hadrons, the correct sign of hadron quadrupole moments, color flux tubes, confinement, Regge behavior, running quark masses, correctly predicted hadron mass sequences, the lack of CP violation for the strong interaction, asymptotic freedom, and the appearance of glueballs. Two consequences differ from quantum chromodynamics. First, the geometry of the strand process for the strong interaction leads to an ab-initio estimate for the running strong coupling constant. Second, the tangle shapes lead to ab-initio lower and upper limits for the mass values of the quarks.

The Number of Elementary Fermions and the Electromagnetic Coupling

Electric charges and masses of elementary fermions of the Standard Model and fundamental physical constants (speed of light in vacuum, Planck constant, gravitational constant, vacuum permittivity, electron charge) are related through a simple equation. This new relation links 10 of the free parameters of the Standard Model—the masses of the three charged leptons and six quarks, and the electromagnetic coupling—in a compact formula, leaving strong constraints for allowing further elementary charged fermions beyond the Standard Model’s physics. The formula is not derived by theoretical calculations, but it is based on the empirically measured values of the electric charges and proper masses of the known elementary fermions.

Invariant quadratic operators associated with linear canonical transformations and their eigenstates

The main purpose of this work is to identify invariant quadratic operators associated with Linear Canonical Transformations (LCTs) which could play important roles in physics. In quantum physics, LCTs are the linear transformations which keep invariant the Canonical Commutation Relations (CCRs). In this work, LCTs corresponding to a general pseudo-Euclidian space are considered and related to a phase space representation of quantum theory. Explicit calculations are firstly performed for the monodimensional case to identify the corresponding LCT-invariant quadratic operators then multidimensional generalizations of the obtained results are deduced. The eigenstates of these operators are also identified. A first kind of LCT-invariant operator is a second order polynomial of the coordinates and momenta operators. The coefficients of this polynomial depend on the mean values and the statistical variances-covariances of the coordinates and momenta operators themselves. It is shown that these statistical variances-covariances can be related with thermodynamic variables. In this context, new quantum corrections to the ideal gas state equation are deduced from correction to the Hamiltonian operator of non-relativistic free quantum particles that is suggested by LCT-covariance. Two other LCT-invariant quadratic operators, which can be considered as the number operators of some quasiparticles, are also identified: the first one is a number operator of bosonic type quasiparticles and the second one corresponds to fermionic type. This fermionic LCT-invariant quadratic operator is directly related to a spin representation of LCTs. It is shown explicitly, in the case of a relativistic pentadimensional theory, that the eigenstates of this operator can be considered as basic quantum states of elementary fermions. A classification of the fundamental fermions, compatible with the Standard Model of particle physics, is established from a classification of these states.

Holographic models of composite Higgs in the Veneziano limit. Part II. Fermionic sector

We continue our study of strongly-coupled, approximately scale-invariant gauge theories with a large number of flavours, which provide a suitable ultraviolet completion of the composite-Higgs scenario. We identify the requisite operators to realise partial compositeness of the Standard-Model fermions. In order to compute the spectrum of composite fermionic states, we extend the bottom-up holographic models, which we previously introduced to capture the main features of the non-perturbative dynamics in the Veneziano limit, by adding fermion fields in the bulk. We identify regions in parameter space where some fermionic bound states become light, depending in particular on the number of flavours, the operator scaling dimensions, and the bulk Yukawa couplings. We also observe a dense spectrum of states, when multi-scale dynamics is induced by a large backreaction of bulk scalars on the geometry. Adapting the formalism of the holographic Wilsonian renormalisation group, we study the linear coupling between the composite and elementary fermions, as a function of energy scale. We find that, in some circumstances, the associated operators are dangerously irrelevant: the renormalisation-group flow gives rise to a large linear coupling in the infrared, even when it is irrelevant from the point of view of the ultraviolet fixed point. We finally compute the partially composite spectrum, correlate it with the analysis of the flow, and assess the potential phenomenological implications, e.g. for the top-quark partners.

Testing a conjecture on quantum electrodynamics

A geometric Planck-scale model of quantum electrodynamics is tested against observations. Based on Dirac's proposal to describe spin 1/2 particles as tethered objects, elementary fermions are conjectured to be fluctuating rational tangles with unobservable tethers. As Battey-Pratt and Racey showed, when such tangles propagate, they obey the free Dirac equation.Classifying rational tangles yields the observed spectrum of elementary fermions. Classifying deformations of tangle cores yields exactly three types of gauge interactions. They exchange three types of elementary gauge bosons and have the symmetry groups U(1), broken SU(2) and SU(3). The possible rational tangles for fermions, Higgs and gauge bosons allow only the observed Feynman diagrams. The complete Lagrangian of the standard model arises, including the Lagrangian of quantum electrodynamics.To check the tangle model in quantum electrodynamics, over 50 tests are deduced. They include details on the perturbation expansion of the g-factor and the existence of limit values for electric and magnetic fields. So far, no test is contradicted by observations, though this could change in the future. Some tests are genuine predictions that still need to be checked.In particular, the geometry of the process occurring at QED interaction vertices suggests an ab-initio estimate for the fine structure constant. In addition, the average geometric shapes of the elementary particle tangles suggest ab-initio lower and upper limits for the mass values of the electron and the other leptons.

A road towards a beyond the Standard Model model

In this talk we describe examples of renormalizable strongly interacting field theories where chiral symmetry, broken at the UV cutoff by the presence of some irrelevant d > 4 operators in the fundamental Lagrangian, is recovered at low energy owing to the tuning of certain Lagrangian parameters. The interference of UV effects with IR features coming from the spontaneous breaking of the recovered chiral symmetry yields non perturbatively generated elementary fermion masses parametrically expressed by formulae of the kind mq ~ Cq(α)ΛRGI with α the gauge coupling constant and ΛRGI the RGI scale of the theory. Upon introducing EW interactions, this mechanism can be extended to give mass to EW bosons and leptons and can thus be used as an alternative to the Higgs scenario. In order to give the top quark and the weak gauge bosons a mass of the phenomenologically correct order of magnitude, the model must necessarily include (yet unobserved) super-strongly interacting massive fermions endowed, besides ordinary Standard Model interactions, with super-strong interactions with a RGI scale, ΛT ΛQCD in the few TeV range. Though limited in its scope (here we ignore hypercharge and leptons and discuss only the case of one family neglecting weak isospin splitting), the model opens the way to a solution of the naturalness problem and an understanding of the fermion mass hierarchy.

Toolbox for elementary fermions with a dipolar Fermi gas in a three-dimensional optical lattice

There has been growing interest in investigating properties of elementary particles predicted by the standard model. Examples of such studies include exploring their low-energy analogs in a condensed-matter system, where they arise as collective states or quasiparticles. Here we show that a toolbox for systematically engineering the emergent elementary fermions, i.e., Dirac, Weyl, and Majorana fermions, can be built in a single atomic system composed of a spinless magnetic dipolar Fermi gas in a three-dimensional optical lattice. The designed direction-dependent dipole-dipole interaction leads to both the basic building block, i.e., in-plane $p+ip$ superfluid pairing instability, and the manipulating tool, i.e., out-of-plane Peierls instability. It is shown that the Peierls instability provides a natural way of tuning the topological nature of $p+ip$ superfluids and can transform the fermion's nature between distinct emergent particles. Our scheme should contribute to the search for elementary particles through manipulating the topology.

Linear Canonical Transformations in relativistic quantum physics

Linear Canonical Transformations (LCTs) are known in signal processing and optics as the generalization of certain useful integral transforms. In quantum theory, they can be identified as the linear transformations which keep invariant the canonical commutation relations characterizing the coordinates and momenta operators. In this work, the possibility of considering LCTs to be the elements of a symmetry group for relativistic quantum physics is studied using the principle of covariance. It is established that Lorentz transformations and multidimensional Fourier transforms are particular cases of LCTs and some of the main symmetry groups currently considered in relativistic theories can be obtained from the contractions of LCTs groups. It is also shown that a link can be established between a spinorial representation of LCTs and some properties of elementary fermions. This link leads to a classification which suggests the existence of sterile neutrinos and the possibility of describing a generation of fermions with a single field. Some possible applications of the obtained results are discussed. These results may, in particular, help in the establishment of a unified theory of fundamental interactions. Intuitively, LCTs correspond to linear combinations of energy-momentum and spacetime compatible with the principle of covariance.

Mass distribution and generation of elementary fermions

In this paper, we study the mass distribution of elementary fermions and find a set of empirical relations to describe the mass distribution of elementary fermions. This inspires us to investigate in depth the origin of elementary fermion mass hierarchies and generations. We present a theoretical model to explain why the elementary fermions have three generations and discuss the origin of the fundamental fermion mass hierarchies and spin.

A more natural composite Higgs model

Composite Higgs models provide an attractive solution to the hierarchy problem. However, many realistic models suffer from tuning problems in the Higgs potential. There are often large contributions from the UV dynamics of the composite resonances to the Higgs potential, and tuning between the quadratic term and the quartic term is required to separate the electroweak breaking scale and the compositeness scale. We consider a composite Higgs model based on the SU(6)/Sp(6) coset, where an enhanced symmetry on the fermion resonances can minimize the Higgs quadratic term. Moreover, a Higgs quartic term from the collective symmetry breaking of the little Higgs mechanism can be realized by the partial compositeness couplings between elementary Standard Model fermions and the composite operators, without introducing new elementary fields beyond the Standard Model and the composite sector. The model contains two Higgs doublets, as well as several additional pseudo-Nambu-Goldstone bosons. To avoid tuning, the extra Higgs bosons are expected to be relatively light and may be probed in the future LHC runs. The deviations of the Higgs couplings and the weak gauge boson couplings also provide important tests as they are expected to be close to the current limits in this model.