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
0
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

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