Decay of W+ Boson: Up+Anti-Down & Charm+Anti-Strange

In summary, the W+ boson can decay into various quark-antiquark pairs, but the most common decays are u + dbar and c + sbar. This is due to isospin conservation and the differences in CKM matrix elements.
  • #1
malawi_glenn
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Gold Member
6,735
2,455
Hi I was wondering why the W+ boson is decaying into following quarks:

up + anti(down)

charm + anti(strange)

bot not:

up + anti(strange) [for example]

both electric charge and baryon number is conserved.

What am I missing? Is it the Cabibbo angle?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
I thought W^+ does -->u+sbar.
 
  • #3
Meir Achuz said:
I thought W^+ does -->u+sbar.

not according to my book, Povh "nuclei and particles.."

and it can't be because of the cabibbo mixing.. must ask someone at my university i guess =)
 
  • #4
Meir Achuz said:
I thought W^+ does -->u+sbar.

No, it does not. W+ --> u + sbar would cause the W+ to have isospin-1/2, which it clearly cannot have. It can only have isospin-1 (for u + dbar) or isospin-0 with S=1, C=1 (for c + sbar). Similarly, Z can only have isospin-0 or 1, with only quark-antiquark pairs forming in decay products.
 
Last edited:
  • #5
But those isospinn is not conserved in weak interaction, right?
 
  • #6
W could decay to us,cd. but compare to ud,cs, it's rate is small. W->us,cd rates are around 1.7%. but to ud,cs,the rates around 32%. you could find the difference in CKM.
 
  • #7
malawi_glenn said:
But those isospinn is not conserved in weak interaction, right?

Ummm... yes this is correct.
 

What is the decay of W+ boson?

The decay of W+ boson refers to the process in which a positively charged W boson particle transforms into other particles, such as an up quark and an anti-down quark, or a charm quark and an anti-strange quark.

Why does the W+ boson decay into specific particles?

The W+ boson decays into specific particles because of the laws of conservation of energy and charge. The total energy and charge of the W+ boson must be conserved in the decay process, so it can only decay into particles with the appropriate energy and charge to maintain this conservation.

What is the significance of the decay of W+ boson?

The decay of W+ boson is significant because it helps scientists understand the properties and interactions of subatomic particles. By studying the decay process, we can gain insight into the fundamental forces and particles that make up the universe.

How is the decay of W+ boson studied?

The decay of W+ boson is studied through high-energy particle colliders, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. By colliding particles at high speeds, scientists can observe the decay products and analyze the data to understand the properties of the W+ boson.

What are some potential applications of understanding the decay of W+ boson?

Understanding the decay of W+ boson can have practical applications in fields such as nuclear energy and medical imaging. It can also lead to advancements in technology, such as more efficient energy production or improved particle detectors.

Similar threads

  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
1
Views
206
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
2
Views
995
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
6
Views
1K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
7
Views
1K
Back
Top