Squark refers to a hypothetical elementary particle in particle physics that belongs to a category known as supersymmetric partner particles. These particles are postulated by supersymmetry, a theory that extends the Standard Model and attempts to resolve some of the unanswered questions in particle physics. Specifically, squarks are the supersymmetric partners of quarks, which are fundamental particles that constitute matter.
Squarks possess similar properties to quarks, such as spin, mass, and electric charge. However, they differ by half a unit of spin, resulting in distinct characteristics. Like quarks, squarks come in six different types or flavors: up, down, charm, strange, top, and bottom. Each of these flavors corresponds to a unique quark-squark pair.
Since squarks have not been observed experimentally, their existence remains theoretical. They play an essential role in supersymmetry, a theoretical framework that aims to address the current limitations of the Standard Model. Supersymmetry proposes that every elementary particle in the Standard Model has a supersymmetric partner, with squarks being the partners of quarks. These partner particles are expected to have masses higher than their corresponding quarks due to their absence in current measurements.
The study of squarks and other supersymmetric particles is vital in understanding the fundamental nature of our universe, as they could provide explanations for phenomena like dark matter and the hierarchy problem in particle physics.
