The W Boson
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Symbol: W Group: boson, gauge boson Rest mass: 86.34 u Charge: ±1 Mean lifetime: 3 x 10-25 sec Spin: 1 |
The W bosons (W- and its antiparticle W+) are, together with the Z boson, carriers of the weak interaction. This force, which is 1013 times weaker than the strong interaction, is limited to a very small space of 10-18 meters. It affects quarks and leptons and causes the transmutation of particles. A W boson is involved, where charge and spin get changed. A negatively charged electron can transform into a neutral electron neutrino by emitting a W- (charge change +1). A W+ causes a charge change of -1. Such processes are responsible for the radioactive beta decay and other phenomens. The W boson that occurs there is about as heavy as an atom of the element rubidium and decays extremely fast into leptons or hadrons. |
Page last changed on March 06. 2010
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