Particle zoo

[petrushka.googol]

Is there a cap on the number of elementary particles ? I think not. By varying the energy of collisions the types of particles change and the list is almost endless.

[ajb]

Is there a cap on the number of elementary particles ? I think not.

You mean the number of species?

 

If so, then I do not think there is anything that we know of that gives some cap. The standard model is a hash of phenomenological results and some field theory. It cannot truly be a fundamental theory.

 

The mass spectrum in string theory (usually) contains a finite number of massless particles and an infinite number of massive particles. So there could be room for a lot more particles to be realised in nature.

[Strange]

Is there a cap on the number of elementary particles ? I think not. By varying the energy of collisions the types of particles change and the list is almost endless.

 

Currently we only know of 17 (plus their anti-particles).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_particle#/media/File:Standard_Model_of_Elementary_Particles.svg

[swansont]

Is there a cap on the number of elementary particles ? I think not. By varying the energy of collisions the types of particles change and the list is almost endless.

Is there a scientific basis for thinking there are more, if only you go to a higher energy?