Natural Science Forum / Physics / Research / April 2004

I'm trying to clarify my understanding of quark color charge.
It seems to me, that there is a linkage between quark color and electric
charge.
For example, a red up quark has a red color charge of 1 and an electric

Writing the antisymmetric (f_{jkl}) and symmetric
(d_{jkl}) structure constants of the Lie algebra of
SU(N) (determined by the generators F_{m}) as follows:
f_{jkl} = - (i / 4) Tr([F_{j},F_{k}]_{-} F_{l})

There are people who post on this board saying wavefunctions or
virtual particles aren't "real" but are instead a mathematcal device.
Well, you could say everything in every theory of physics is a
"mathematical device". All of our theories were invented by humans,

Urs Schreiber <Urs.Schreiber@uni-essen.de> wrote in message news:<Pine.LNX.4.31.0404220635180.32710-100000@feynman.harvard.edu>...
I really don't feel comfortable with posting to sps, so I prefer to
move this discussion to neutral territory.

according to GR, gravity is the geometry of spacetime.
according to QM, all periodic processes must be quantized. The quanta
of gravity is the graviton.
It would seem to me that therefore space must be made of "atoms" of

[Moderator's note: Replies about the General test should probably be
sent by e-mail; replies about the Physics test can be posted to the
newsgroup. -TB]
Dear All,

To John Baez.
In the sci.physics.research group the question about the relationship
between Maxwell and Dirac equations and about the physical
understanding of the Dirac equation, was discussed many times (see

The Wave-function of the Universe is based on QM principles of probabilty
and thus of observertional quantities. Quantum Tunneling is a good
experimental method of  'Wave-function' analysis.
Is it true that there is a corresponding 'Particle-function', based on the

I have read multiple times that graviton should have
spin = 2.
Is this just the conclusion based on never
observing the gravitational repulsion or there are some

When a compressed spring is released, it can't expand all along its
length simultaneously. The removal of the compression force must pass
along the length of the spring as a wave. Presumably that wave must also
bounce back in the other direction. Can anyone recommend a good ...

While the traditional picture of the solar system show it as a flat disc, is
its (exaggerated, dynamic) shape more like a ice cream cone, with the sun in
the leading apex position, roaring along the path of action followed by the
spiralling trail  of planets and dust clouds?

... either indirectly (by supporting/refuting GR) or by direct measure of some sort?
just curious.
r b-j

Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week205.html
April 11, 2004
This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics - Week 205
John Baez    

Also available at http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week202.html
February 21, 2004
This Week's Finds in Mathematical Physics - Week 202
John Baez    

-> Hi everyone,
-> This is my first post.
-> I was talking with a few people about the chance of survival when a
-> person falls from a 230 foot bridge into water. I'm in the Coast Guard