Are muons elementary particles?

In summary, muons are leptons and are considered elementary particles. Although they decay into an electron and two neutrinos, this does not mean they are composed of those particles. This is similar to the way quarks can decay into other particles, but they are still considered elementary. Leptons, like muons, are conserved in decays and interactions, and each class has four particles (two charged and two neutral). Therefore, muons can still be considered elementary particles despite their ability to decay.
  • #1
valekovski
3
0
Hi

I've been reading that muons are supposedly leptons (elementary particles), in the past confused for mesons (hadronic particles). They are clearly not mesons, which are composed of a quark and an antiquark. But I've also read that muons decay to an electron and two neutrinos of different types.

So my question is simple, aren't leptons supposed to be elementary particles, not composed of any other particles? If muons are composed of an electron and neutrinos, how can a muon be a lepton? What am i missing?

Thank you for you answers. Cheers, Val.
 
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  • #2
muons and taus are leptons. They happen to decay as you described. There is a similar situation with quarks, where top, bottom, charm, and strange will decay into up and down.

This is the way things are defined.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_particle
 
  • #3
Muons are not composed of an electron and two neutrinos. In a muon decay, they are transformed into other particles.

In a similar way, neutrons can decay into proton+electron+neutrino, electrons and positrons can annihilate to give two photons. Collisions of electrons and positrons can produce muons and so on.
 
  • #4
OK, I get it! Thank you! :) I thought decay was different than composition i just wasn't sure what the difference was. Cheers, Val.
 
  • #5
There are three classes of leptons; electron, muon and tau. Each class of leptons has four particles (two are antiparticles), two charged particles e+ and e-, μ+ and μ-, and τ+ and τ-, and two neutrals each (neutrino and antineutrino). Each class is conserved in decays and interactions. So when a μ- decays, it has to emit a muon neutrino, an e-, and an electron antineutrino. However, when a π- [pi-] decays to a μ-, it also has to emit a muon antineutrino.
 

1. What are muons?

Muons are subatomic particles that are classified as leptons. They are similar to electrons, but are 207 times more massive. They have a negative charge and are found in the nuclei of atoms.

2. Are muons considered to be elementary particles?

Yes, muons are considered to be elementary particles. This means that they are not made up of smaller particles and are considered to be the building blocks of matter.

3. How were muons discovered?

Muons were discovered in 1936 by physicist Carl David Anderson, who observed them in cosmic ray experiments. He also discovered the positron, the antiparticle of the electron, during this experiment.

4. What is the role of muons in particle physics?

Muons play a crucial role in particle physics as they are used to study the fundamental forces and interactions between particles. They can also be used to probe the structure of atoms and nuclei.

5. Can muons be created or destroyed?

Muons can be created or destroyed through various processes, such as particle collisions or radioactive decay. However, their conservation is governed by certain laws, such as the conservation of electric charge and lepton number.

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