At the quark level, the explanation is that a down quark, d, with a negative electric charge equal to one-third that of an electron is transformed into an up quark, u, with a positive electric charge equal to two-thirds that of a proton.Ī W − boson is emitted with one unit of negative electric charge, so conserving electric charge in the process. At most, a few MeV of energy are released in this process, corresponding to the difference in mass between the original nucleus and the resultant nucleus.
The Universe would be an impossibly boring place without them.Īs you know, the beta-minus decay of a nucleus occurs when a neutron turns into a proton, with the emission of an electron and an electron antineutrino. In weak interactions, W and Z bosons interact with each other, as well as with all quarks and leptons. The two (charged) W bosons each have a mass of about 80 GeV/ c 2 whereas the (neutral) Z boson has a mass of about 90 GeV/ c 2. In fact, there are two types of W boson, one with negative electric charge, the W − boson, and one with positive electric charge, the W + boson.
In the same way that photons and gluons are the quanta involved in electromagnetic and strong interactions, respectively, weak interactions involve other quanta – known as W bosons and Z bosons.
0 kommentar(er)
