Function of W+, W- and Z bosons?

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    Bosons Function
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W+, W-, and Z0 bosons are the force carriers of the weak interaction, responsible for processes like radioactive beta decay. Unlike the massless photon that mediates electromagnetic forces, these bosons are massive, resulting in a short-range interaction. Beta decay involves a down quark transforming into an up quark, emitting a W boson, which subsequently decays into an electron and an electron neutrino, thereby increasing the atomic number of the nucleus. The discussion clarifies that beta decay is distinct from alpha decay, which involves nucleons. Understanding these bosons is crucial for grasping the mechanisms of particle interactions in nuclear physics.
FeDeX_LaTeX
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Hello;

What are the functions of the W+, W- and Z0 bosons? They are responsible for radioactive beta decay, but what do each of these bosons do?

Thanks.
 
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They are the force carriers of the weak interaction, just as the photon is the force carrier of the electromagnetic interaction. Because they are very massive, the weak interaction is a very short-range force, unlike the electromagnetic interaction, which is a long-range force because the photon is massless.
 
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Okay. So the W+, W- and Z0 are all attracted to each other, then? Like in an atom?
 
I checked it out on hyperphysics and it gave a Feynman diagram which depicted a down quark is traveling along it splits into an up quark and a +W which then decays into an electron and electron neutrino. The description said this is what happens during beta decay but I always thought beta decay was dealing with electrons and alpha decay dealing with nucleons. So what is beta decay? Also what exactly are these bosons transmitting? Is it just a means of describing how a particle will start at A and arrive at B as our observations have shown? Sorry to hijack your thread but I think this is pertinant to your original post.

Joe
 
Hi;

I would like to know too. :)

Where is the picture you were talking about?
 
At the quark level, beta decay is as you described it, with a d quark decaying into a u quark, an electron, and an electron anti-neutrino. Converting the d quark into a u quark converts the neutron that the d quark is part of into a proton. This causes the nucleus that the neutron is into emit an electron (and it's associated neutrino) and increase in atomic number by 1. Note that even free neutrons decay via this path with a half life of about 10-15 minutes.
 

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