List of particles

From Wikinfo

Non-elementary particles

• Molecule, consists of atoms
  • An Atom consists of a nucleus containing both protons (Baryon variety of Hadron) and neutrons (Baryon variety of Hadron) with an orbiting electrons (Lepton) cloud.

• Hadrons, composed of quarks and gluons, three types:
  • Baryons, Three quarks
    • Proton, part of the atomic nucleus
    • Neutron, part of the atomic nucleus
  • 'Exotic Baryons'
    • Pentaquark, made of five quarks
  • Mesons, quark+antiquark
    • Pion
    • Kaon

Elementary particles

• Fermions, of these particles there also exist an anti-particle
  • Leptons, six types:
    • Electron, the antiparticle of the electron is called Positron
    • Muon
    • Tauon
    • Electron-, Muon-, and Tauon-Neutrino
  • Quarks, six types: (up, down, strange, charm, top and bottom)

• Bosons, these particles are their own anti-particle. They carry the fundamental forces of nature.
  • Graviton, transmits gravity (not yet observed)
  • Higgs boson, gives particles mass (not yet observed)
  • Photon, transmits electromagnetic force
  • W and Z bosons, transmits weak nuclear force
  • Gluons, transmits strong nuclear force

References

• Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "List_of_particles" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_particles, used under the GNU Free Documentation License