Mesons

ParticleSymbolAnti-
particle
Makeup
Rest mass
MeV/c2
SCBLifetime
Decay Modes
Pion
π+
π-
ud
139.6
0
0
0
2.60
x10-8
μ+νμ
Pion
π0
Self
135.0
0
0
0
0.83
x10-16
Kaon
K+
K-
us
493.7
+1
0
0
1.24
x10-8
μ+νμ, π+π0
Kaon
K0s
K0s
1*
497.7
+1
0
0
0.89
x10-10
π+π-,2π0
Kaon
K0L
K0L
1*
497.7
+1
0
0
5.2
x10-8
π+e-νe
Eta
η0
Self
2*
548.8
0
0
0
<10-18
2γ, 3μ
Eta prime
η0'
Self
2*
958
0
0
0
...
π+π-η
Rho
ρ+
ρ-
ud
770
0
0
0
0.4
x10-23
π+π0
Rho
ρ0
Self
uu, dd
770
0
0
0
0.4
x10-23
π+π-
Omega
ω0
Self
uu, dd
782
0
0
0
0.8
x10-22
π+π-π0
Phi
φ
Self
ss
1020
0
0
0
20
x10-23
K+K-,K0K0
D
D+
D-
cd
1869.4
0
+1
0
10.6
x10-13
K + _, e + _
D
D0
D0
cu
1864.6
0
+1
0
4.2
x10-13
[K,μ,e] + _
D
D+s
D-s
cs
1969
+1
+1
0
4.7
x10-13
K + _
J/Psi
J/ψ
Self
cc
3096.9
0
0
0
0.8
x10-20
e+e-, μ+μ-...
B
B-
B+
bu
5279
0
0
-1
1.5
x10-12
D0 + _
B
B0
B0
db
5279
0
0
-1
1.5
x10-12
D0 + _
Bs
Bs0
Bs0
sb
5370
-1
0
-1
...
B-s + _
Upsilon
ϒ
Self
bb
9460.4
0
0
0
1.3
x10-20
e+e-, μ+μ-..
Note that an underline indicates an antiparticle.
To Baryon Table

Mesons are intermediate mass particles which are made up of a quark-antiquark pair. Three quark combinations are called baryons. Mesons are bosons, while the baryons are fermions.

1* The neutral Kaons K0s and K0L represent symmetric and antisymmetric mixtures of the quark combinations down-antistrange and antidown-strange.

2* The neutral eta meson is considered to be a quark combination

Note: In the table, antiquarks are indicated by an underline, e.g., ud means a combination of an up and an antidown quark.

Most of the listed decay times are in the range 10-13 to 10-8 s which indicates decay by the weak interaction. These decays involve quark transformations which can be represented by Feynman diagrams.

Meson diagramDiscussion of mesons
Index

Particle concepts

References
Serway
Ch. 47

Giancoli
Ch. 32

Griffiths


Particle Data Group
  HyperPhysics***** Quantum Physics Go Back