particules

Particules, or particles, are the discrete constituents of matter and energy that can be localized in space and time. The term covers objects ranging from subatomic elementary particles to larger aggregates such as atoms and molecules, as well as composite systems such as nuclei and colloids. In physics and chemistry, the study of particules seeks to understand their properties, interactions, and the forces that bind them.

In fundamental physics, particles are divided into elementary particles, which have no known substructure (for example quarks, leptons, gauge bosons, and the Higgs boson), and composite particles, which are bound states of smaller constituents (for example protons, neutrons, and mesons). Every particle carries intrinsic properties such as mass, electric charge, and spin, and many have antiparticles with equal mass but opposite charge.

Interactions are described by four fundamental forces in the Standard Model: electromagnetic, strong, weak, and gravity (the latter described by general relativity and not fully reconciled with quantum theory). Mediators include photons, gluons, W and Z bosons, and the hypothetical graviton. Particles obey quantum statistics: fermions (matter particles) follow the Pauli exclusion principle, while bosons can share quantum states.

Measurements rely on detectors and accelerators; particle physics explores processes at the smallest scales, while chemistry often treats atoms and molecules as particles. Particles appear in many contexts, from cosmic rays and early-universe cosmology to materials science and nanotechnology.