Association between W Boson Decay and Leptons

In summary, the decay of a W boson into an anti-lepton and neutrino is only restricted to certain particles.
  • #1
TDanskin
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As a physics A Level student, I am interested in understanding particle physics. Recently I have read that a W boson, as a relatively heavy particle, decays into one of three charged anti-leptons, and one of the three neutrinos. If a W boson decays to form an anti-tau lepton, it will also form a tau neutrino. Is the association of electrons, muons and tau particles with their 'corresponding' neutrinos purely based on this decay of W bosons?
 
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  • #2
W bosons decay into every possible combination of particles that is permitted by the conservation laws.
 
  • #3
Thanks so is the decay of a W boson not restricted to an anti-lepton and it's neutrino?
 
  • #4
You can also decay into quarks.

If you decay into a (anti-)lepton, the produced neutrino is always of the same flavour. This is what defines neutrino flavour.

Edit: And by "you" I mean the W ...
 
  • #5
The other option is quark plus antiquark.
TDanskin said:
Is the association of electrons, muons and tau particles with their 'corresponding' neutrinos purely based on this decay of W bosons?
Or via other process that involve real or virtual W bosons. In the Standard Model, those are the only interactions that convert elementary particles into other particles.

Edit: For clarification: particle+antiparticle -> something else is not meant here, that happens via other bosons as well.
 
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  • #6
mfb said:
The other option is quark plus antiquark.Or via other process that involve real or virtual W bosons. In the Standard Model, those are the only interactions that convert elementary particles into other particles.
I could have sworn Peskin-Schröder had an early example of electromagnetic ##e^+e^-\rightarrow\mu^+\mu^-## scattering ...
Anyway, I know what you mean, but an entry level student might not.
 
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  • #8
Thank you, this is all really useful :-)
 

1. What is the W boson and how does it decay?

The W boson is a subatomic particle that is responsible for carrying the weak nuclear force. It decays through either an electron or electron neutrino, or a muon or muon neutrino, and a corresponding antineutrino.

2. How is the W boson decay related to leptons?

The W boson decay is directly related to leptons, as it decays into a lepton and its corresponding antineutrino. This process allows scientists to study the properties of leptons and their interactions with other particles.

3. What is the significance of studying the association between W boson decay and leptons?

Studying the association between W boson decay and leptons allows scientists to better understand the fundamental forces and particles that make up our universe. It also helps to validate the Standard Model of particle physics, which predicts the interactions between particles.

4. How do scientists study the association between W boson decay and leptons?

Scientists study the association between W boson decay and leptons by colliding particles at high energies, such as at the Large Hadron Collider. They then observe the particles produced from these collisions and analyze their properties and interactions.

5. What are some potential implications of the association between W boson decay and leptons?

The association between W boson decay and leptons has potential implications for understanding the origin of mass, the possibility of new particles beyond the Standard Model, and the search for a unifying theory of all fundamental forces. It also has practical applications in fields such as medicine and technology.

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