Tactile quark puzzle
Credit : LHCb Collaboration, Germany
Abstract
The Spherical Quark-Puzzle provides a 3D visualisation of the quark model of hadrons and the basic conditions under which quarks form hadrons (e.g. neutrons or protons), as dictated by quantum chromodynamics. As a representation of the SU(3) symmetry, the predisposed symmetry of a platonic solid, the (spherical) dodecahedron is used to build all hadrons from the same basic shape.
Quark flavour, quark generations, the electric charges, colour charges, colour neutrality of hadrons, two- and three-quark states are illustrated impressively. Furthermore, top quarks are designed such that they cannot be formed into hadrons.
Contact
Authors :
- Lukas Julian Exner (LHCb Bonn, University of Bonn),
- Sebastian Neubert (LHCb Bonn, University of Bonn),
- Klaas Padeken (LHCb Bonn, University of Bonn)
Related IPPOG Collaboration member :
Contact :
- quarks [at] magenta.de
Project status
Ongoing (updated 2025-04-22)
Files & Resources
- Website
- Spherical puzzle
- Dodecahedron puzzle
- Printeable
- Thingiverse
- Further material on the LHCb Masterclass can be found here