charm

Charm is a property of quarks, fundamental particles that make up protons and neutrons. It’s a quantum number that indicates a particle has a specific type of "flavor." Charm particles, or "charmed" particles, are created in high-energy processes and can decay into other particles, often via weak interactions. The term "charm" was originally chosen because these particles exhibit unique behaviors that inspired a sense of fascination. In short, charm is a label scientists use to identify certain particles with specific properties, helping them understand the fundamental building blocks of matter.