Strange Quark

Third-lightest quark, present in strange particles like kaons.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Explains the unexpectedly long lifetimes of kaons and hyperons found in cosmic rays in 1947.
• Carries the strangeness quantum number, conserved by the strong force but violated in weak decays.
• Strange quark matter is hypothesized to exist in the cores of neutron stars.

Specifications & Metrics

• MASS: 95 MeV/c²
• SPIN: 1/2
• SYMBOL: s