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1 vote
1 answer
55 views

How can I calculate action of $\mathfrak{su}(3)$ or other simple algebra ladder operators on "states" from the algebra commutators?

I wanted a way to "derive" Gell-Mann matrices for $\mathfrak{su}(3)$ and generalise this to other semi-simple algebras $\mathfrak{g}$. The way I wanted to approach this is start from the ...
2 votes
1 answer
449 views

Why, in QCD, are quarks in the fundamental representation of $SU(3)$?

QCD is built from the notion that Dirac's Lagrangian should be invariant under gauge colour transformations. Here, quarks are elements of $\psi_{\alpha,f,c}(x)$, where $\alpha$, $f$ and $c$ stand for ...
12 votes
2 answers
2k views

$SU(3)$ vs $SO(3)$ color gauge

I have kind of a dumb question: what would happen if the color gauge group is $SO(3)$ instead of $SU(3)$, assuming there are still colors and physical states are still color singlets? Will we e.g. get ...
0 votes
0 answers
244 views

One-loop renormalization of the gauge coupling

Quoting Yuji Tachikawa, chapter 3 of "${\cal N}=2$ Supersymmetric Dynamics for Pedestrians": Recall the one-loop renormalization of the gauge coupling in a general Lagrangian field theory $$...
4 votes
3 answers
1k views

Is the concept of bicolored gluons mathematically precise/meaningful? Please explain

Each flavour of quark carries a colour quantum number: red, green or blue. I know what it means mathematically. But elementary textbooks (e.g, particle physics by Griffiths) also say that gluons are ...
0 votes
2 answers
91 views

Quantum chromodynamics - why are there no $rrb$ or $ggr$ terms?

$$\Psi_{colour}^{qqq} = \frac{1}{\sqrt{6}}(rgb + gbr + brg -grb - rbg - bgr)$$ My lecturer stated that there cannot be any $rrb$ or $ggr$ terms in the expression above. I would like to understand what ...
2 votes
2 answers
68 views

How do we understand the ${\bf 3}$ of $Q_L({\bf 3}, {\bf 2})_{1/3}$?

A left-handed quark doublet of the Standard Model is specified as $Q_L({\bf 3}, {\bf 2})_{1/3}=(u,d)^T$. I have a problem understanding this quark doublet as a triplet of ${\rm SU}(3)$. Any help? I ...
12 votes
1 answer
1k views

How many colors really are there in QCD?

In abelian gauge theory (electrodynamics), the matter fields transform like (please correct me if I am wrong) $$ |\psi\rangle\rightarrow e^{in\theta(x)}|\psi\rangle\tag{1} $$ under a gauge ...
1 vote
0 answers
1k views

How to decompose tensor products of $SU(3)$ representations? [duplicate]

Formally, one can arrange the quark flavors in a $SU(n)$ fundamental representation. One can then do tensor products for flavor and spin to construct other representations like baryons and mesons. An ...
2 votes
2 answers
288 views

Do the “$SU(3)$ colors” live in a 3-dimensional vector space?

Previously I asked a question about the visualized colors: Do the "colors" live in a 3-dimensional vector space? (My earlier question is unfortunately closed) Now I like to ask the “$SU(3)$ ...
3 votes
2 answers
313 views

Normalisation of QCD Lagrangian

In QCD, and more generally in representations of $\mathfrak{su}(N)$, there is a freedom to choose the normalisation of the generators, $$ \mathrm{Tr} \, \left[R(T^a) R(T^b)\right] = T_R \delta^{ab}.\...
2 votes
1 answer
171 views

Physical significance of the reality of an ${\bf N}$ representation: how the nature of interactions is affected?

Background The fundamental representation of ${\rm SU(N)}$ is denoted by ${\bf N}$ and the conjugate of the fundamental is denoted by ${\bar{\bf N}}$. If the representation ${\bf N}$ is related to ${\...
0 votes
0 answers
221 views

What is the application of dimension $6$ representation of $SU(3)$ in particle physics?

As we know, the $uds$ transforms in fundamental representations of $SU(3)$. It has the antifundamental partner. According to representation theory, $$ \mathbf{3} \otimes \mathbf{\bar{3}}= \mathbf{8} \...
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Confusions with gluons. How many of them are there?

Gluons are bicolored objects. They are made out of one color and one anticolor. Therefore, there seems to be nine possible states $r\bar{r},r\bar{b},r\bar{g},b\bar{r},b\bar{b},b\bar{g},g\bar{r},g\bar{...
5 votes
2 answers
664 views

Quark model extension to all six flavors

Gell-Mann's $SU(3)$ quark model is extremely successful at describing the bound states of the three light quarks $u,d,s$. The bound states fall neatly into the irreducible representations of $\...

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