Proton decay

[petrushka.googol]

Does proton decay produce quarks and other elementary particles and what is the time frame involved ?

[ajb]

Within the standard model there is no mechanism for proton decay. Hypothetically, the proton could decay into any lighter particles; provided we break some of the symmetries of the standard model, in particular baryon number. Experimental bounds on the lifetime of a proton is of the order 10^33 years.

[Enthalpy]

Quarks don't exist alone, so would they be expected as a decay product?

[ajb]

Quarks don't exist alone, so would they be expected as a decay product?

They would not be expected as free particles; one commonly explored decay in this context is into a positron and a neutral pion.

[emoallen3433]

There are actually a few theories that predict proton decay via the Higgs Boson. The proton would have a half life of about 10^36 years though.

[Enthalpy]

The proton decay was fashionable at a time when the proton was considered a fundamental particle. Now as a complex building of more particles, it would involve many reactions simultaneously to decay into, say, two elementary particles. So is the decay still so fashionable?

[ajb]

So is the decay still so fashionable?

Such a decay would signal some physics not accounted for in the standard model. I guess there will be some interest in proton decay for a while.