Since we will (maybe) never observe free quarks which has fraction charge, is it logically correct to say that the fraction (1/2,2/3 etc) electric charge is also confined. I.e. the charges that we do se (+1,-1 etc) are "white" in the sense of color?
Asked
Active
Viewed 193 times
2 Answers
2
I don't see the analogy.
Isolated color charged particles (quarks) have not been observed, this is not the case electric charge particles (like electrons) because we observe total net electric charge.
You might mean that fractional color has not been observed, neither fractional electric charge. In that case, it's true, but this is not what confinement means.
jinawee
- 12,675
- 7
- 60
- 102
1
No- because electric charge can be measured (in principle) up to an infinite distance from the source, i.e. it's range (and influence) is infinite.
Colour charge can only be measured up to a range close of approximately $r_p$, the radius of the proton, i.e. its range (and influence) is confined to below a fixed distance.
As for whether the quark's electric charge is confined - no. The proton is electrically charged- but this is 'actually' the charge of the quarks in the proton. The influence of this electric charge (mixed with quantum mechanics) is why electrons can interact with protons to form atoms.
kd88
- 1,937