From Sakata Model to Goldberg-Ne'eman Quarks and Nambu QCD Phenomenology and “Right" and “Wrong" Experiments

The basic theoretical milestones were the Sakata SU(3) symmetry, theGoldberg-Ne'eman composite model with SU(3) triplets having baryon number (1/3)and the Nambu color gauge Lagrangian. The transition was led in right and wrongdirections by experiments interpreted by phenomenology. A "good" experiment on$\bar p p$ annihilation at rest showed that the Sakata model predictionsdisagreed with experiment. A "bad" experiment prevented the use of theGoldberg-Ne'eman triplet model to predict the existence and masses of the ofthe $\Xi^*$ and $\Omega^-$. More "good" experiments revealed the existence andmass of the $\Xi^*$ and the $\Omega^-$ and the absence of positive strangenessbaryon resonances, thus confirming the "tenfold way". Further "goodexperiments" revealed the existence of the vector meson nonet, SU(3) breakingwith singlet-octet mixing and the suppression of the $\phi \to \rho \pi$ decay.These led to the quark triplet model. The paradox of peculiar statistics thenarose as the $\Delta^{++}$ and $\Omega^-$ contained three identical spin-1/2fermions coupled symmetrically to spin (3/2). This led to color and the NambuQCD. The book "Lie Groups for Pedestrians" used the Sakata model with the name"sakaton" for the $pn\Lambda$ triplet to teach the algebra of SU(3) to particlephysicists in the U.S. and Europe who knew no group theory. The Sakata modelhad a renaissance in hypernuclear physics in the 1970's.Comment: 8 page