Particle Physics

Mandelstam Variable Identities

For $2 \to 2$ scattering with incoming momenta and masses $(p_1, m_1), (p_2, m_2)$ and outgoing $(k_1, m_1'), (k_2, m_2')$:

$$ \begin{aligned} p_1 \cdot p_2 &= \tfrac{1}{2}\left(s - m_1^2 - m_2^2\right) \\ k_1 \cdot k_2 &= \tfrac{1}{2}\left(s - m_1'^2 - m_2'^2\right) \\ p_1 \cdot k_1 &= \tfrac{1}{2}\left(m_1^2 + m_1'^2 - t\right) \\ p_2 \cdot k_2 &= \tfrac{1}{2}\left(m_2^2 + m_2'^2 - t\right) \\ p_1 \cdot k_2 &= \tfrac{1}{2}\left(m_1^2 + m_2'^2 - u\right) \\ p_2 \cdot k_1 &= \tfrac{1}{2}\left(m_2^2 + m_1'^2 - u\right) \end{aligned} $$

with $s + t + u = m_1^2 + m_2^2 + m_1'^2 + m_2'^2$.

Standard Model Masses and Degrees of Freedom

TypeMassSpin$g$
Quarks$t, \bar t$173 GeV$1/2$$2 \cdot 2 \cdot 3 = 12$
$b, \bar b$4 GeV
$c, \bar c$1 GeV
$s, \bar s$100 MeV
$d, \bar d$5 MeV
$u, \bar u$2 MeV
Gluons$g_i$01$8 \cdot 2 = 16$
Charged lep.$\tau^\pm$1777 MeV$1/2$$2 \cdot 2 = 4$
$\mu^\pm$106 MeV
$e^\pm$511 keV
Neutrinos$\nu_\tau, \bar\nu_\tau$< 0.6 eV$1/2$$2 \cdot 1 = 2$
$\nu_\mu, \bar\nu_\mu$< 0.6 eV
$\nu_e, \bar\nu_e$< 0.6 eV
Gauge bosons$W^+$80 GeV13
$W^-$80 GeV
$Z^0$91 GeV
$\gamma$02
Higgs$H^0$125 GeV01

Above all SM thresholds: $g_b = 28$, $g_f = 90$, so $g_* = g_b + \tfrac{7}{8} g_f = 106.75$.

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