Is the weak and strong force the same force?

[per.sundqvist]

Hello, I'm a novice in this field, but there is one thing I have been wondering about for a long time. Maby you could help me understand it?

I think it must be enough to only use the quark-quark forces to describe all nuclear reactions, even things like n-> p+e+v, but it is perhaps a lot more complicated. The introduction of the W- particle as the carrier of the "force" seems not to be really a first principle force.

d → u + W−
W− → e− + νe

I think, but correct me if I'm wrong, that a large energy amount could create something which looks like, or could be interpreted as a particle, the W- for instance. But if it is really a fundamental particle, why is it unstable?

Is this only all about that it is more easy to use an "artificial" force rather than attacking it from first principles by using the real strong force? Cannot the properties of the weak interaction (I googled it) be understood in some kind of quantum dynamics in terms of the strong force? I guess it is complicated, but anyway it would be more satisfactory and pure.

Thanks in advice,
Per

 

[malawi_glenn]

No, the weak force is connected to the electromagnetic force -> can be unified to electroweak force.

Why is the strong force real and the weak force artificial?

Also the particles W and Z have been observed, so the SU(2) - gauge theory is rigour, both in theory and experiment.

 

[sir-pinski]

Thank you for your question, Per. The weak and strong force are not the same force. They are two of the four fundamental forces in nature, along with the electromagnetic and gravitational forces. The strong force is responsible for holding particles together in the nucleus of an atom, while the weak force is responsible for certain types of radioactive decay.

The weak force is not a "first principle" force, as you mentioned. It is actually a result of the fundamental interactions between particles and the exchange of particles such as the W- boson. This exchange is what gives rise to the weak force.

The reason the W- boson is unstable is because it has a very short lifetime and decays into other particles. This is a result of the properties and interactions of the particles that make up the W- boson.

While it may seem more satisfying to explain the weak force in terms of the strong force, it is important to understand that each force has its own unique properties and cannot be fully explained by another force. The weak force is necessary to explain certain phenomena, such as radioactive decay, and cannot be solely described by the strong force.

I hope this helps to clarify the difference between the weak and strong forces. Keep asking questions and learning more about the fascinating world of particle physics!