Hadronii

Hadronii is a term used in speculative high-energy physics and in some fictional universes to denote a class of composite, strongly interacting particles bound by a confining force. In real-world terms, hadronii are not part of the Standard Model; they arise in extended theories that introduce new substructures or new gauge interactions responsible for binding.

Composition and structure

In proposed frameworks, hadronii can be baryon-like, composed of three colored subunits, or meson-like, made of two. The subunits may be ordinary quarks, exotic quarks such as vector-like states, or even more fundamental components like preons, bound by a new confinement scale. The spectrum of hadronii states is expected to reflect their internal quantum numbers, with possible conservation laws similar to baryon number or new “H-number” analogs that influence stability and decays.

Properties and decays

Hadronii masses would generally lie well above typical hadrons, potentially in the TeV range depending on the confinement scale. Their interactions resemble those of ordinary hadrons but with distinct selection rules and decay channels dictated by the underlying theory. Lifetimes range from prompt decays to long-lived states, depending on the coupling strengths and conserved quantum numbers. Production mechanisms include high-energy collisions and environments with extreme temperatures or densities where new binding interactions become relevant.

Experimental status

There is no experimental confirmation of hadronii. Searches at current colliders impose limits on their masses and couplings, while future facilities may extend sensitivity to higher scales or reveal distinctive signatures such as unusual mass spectra or displaced decay vertices.

See also

Hadron, exotic hadrons, tetraquarks, pentaquarks, preon models, composite Higgs theories.