Were in the neutron is the electron?

[Sariaht]

Perhaps the proton is a spheare and the electron is a dot!

Is the electron in the middle of the neutron?

[arivero]

No; you have a swarm of quarks, at least three (u, d, d). Then a quark d emits a W- particle, turning himself into a quark u. The W- can not survive because has not enough energy, so it desintegrates into an electron plus a (anti-)neutrino.

[garytse86]

is there any explanation of how the W- particle disintegrates into an electron and electronantineutrino?

Gary

[arivero]

because it can.

[arivero]

IE there is not explication, just experimental input we translate into some mathematical terms in the standard model.

Now, a composite theory for the force bosons, such as W, should predict a specific kind of distribution of spin, momenta and energy when the particle desintegrates or scatters. I guess most possibilities are already ruled out.

[FZ+]

Perhaps the proton is a spheare and the electron is a dot!
Purge yourselves of such classical depictions. As far as quantum theory is concerned, particles et al are simply entities/phenomena, that interact in given, mathematically defined, ways. They do not correspond to our billiard ball experiences.

[GRQC]

Originally posted by garytse86
is there any explanation of how the W- particle disintegrates into an electron and electronantineutrino?
Gary

Well, the "simplest" explanation would be that these are the most likely particles which it can decay into, based on mass/energy considerations, charge conservation, spin conservation, lepton/baryon number, etc...

In a nutshell, this is what the electroweak gauge theory will tell you. I suppose this is more of a "why" explanation. As for the "how" -- ask yourself "how" the wavefunction knows to collapse to a particular eigenstate.... (hint: no one knows!).

[garytse86]

this is really annoying because the physics book says the neutron does decay because it does, so no answer to "why" and "how" really..... just like the question: what is charge?

Gary