quarkheld

Quarkheld is a hypothetical elementary particle proposed in certain beyond-Standard-Model frameworks and in some science fiction settings as a bound state or carrier associated with a novel confining interaction known as the held force. In these concepts, a quarkheld arises when a standard quark is bound to a new partner particle by the held interaction, producing a composite object with properties that differ from ordinary hadrons.

Composition and interactions: In representative models, a quarkheld is a bound state formed by a conventional quark and a heldon, held together by a strong-like binding force. Depending on the model, the quarkheld may carry color charge and participate in strong interactions, or it may be color-neutral while coupling to a hidden or extended sector through portal interactions. The mass of a quarkheld is largely determined by the binding energy of the held force as well as the masses of its constituents, and the spectrum may include ground and excited states.

Phenomenology: Quarkhelds are expected to exhibit distinctive decay patterns, possibly emitting held bosons or standard mesons and baryons, with lifetimes ranging from prompt to long-lived in certain scenarios. Their production would typically require high-energy collisions, and signatures might include unusual resonances, deviations in hadron spectra, or missing-energy events if decays involve hidden-sector particles.

Experimental status: There is no confirmed observation of quarkhelds. Collider experiments, including searches for exotic hadrons and resonances, place constraints on their possible masses and couplings. Ongoing and future high-energy experiments aim to test a range of quarkheld scenarios and refine limits on the held sector.

See also: glueball, exotic hadron, hidden sector, preon.