How does the strange and anti-up quark produce a W-boson in K-minus decay?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the decay process of the K-minus meson (K-) into a muon and an anti-muon neutrino, specifically focusing on the role of strange and anti-up quarks in the production of a W-boson during this decay. Participants explore the correct representation of this process through Feynman diagrams and the underlying interactions involved.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents a Feynman diagram for the decay process, suggesting that the strange quark and anti-up quark collide to produce a muon and anti-muon neutrino via a W-boson.
  • Another participant questions the quark content of the K-minus meson, suggesting that the original diagram may not accurately represent the decay process.
  • A participant confirms the correctness of the Feynman diagram while also noting the proper notation for the anti-muon neutrino using LaTeX.
  • Further clarification is provided regarding the interaction of W-bosons with weak eigenstates rather than mass eigenstates, referencing the CKM matrix and its implications for quark interactions.
  • There is a correction regarding the quark content, with a participant identifying a potential mislabeling in the diagram, specifically pointing out the presence of an anti-up quark.
  • Participants express some confusion regarding the labeling of the diagram but ultimately agree on its correctness after discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants exhibit some disagreement regarding the initial labeling and understanding of the quark content in the Feynman diagram. However, there is a general agreement on the correctness of the diagram after further clarification.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved aspects regarding the specific interactions of quarks and W-bosons, particularly in relation to weak eigenstates and the CKM matrix, which may influence the understanding of the decay process.

Jouleand
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So I am trying to draw Feynman diagrams for the following reaction:

K- → μ- + (νμ) (anti muon neutrino, not very skilled at typing symbols sorry).

And I have the strange quark and the anti-up quark colliding to produce the muon and anti-muon neutrino via a W- boson. I'm not sure if this is right but it seems to be the most logical way to draw the diagram, could someone please verify if I am using the correct feynman diagram and potentially explain how the strange and anti-up quark produce a W-boson?
 

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@vanhees71: Huh? The diagram is correct.

This forum supports LaTeX, the neutrino can be written as ##\bar \nu_\mu#[/color]# —> ##\bar \nu_\mu##.
 
Jouleand said:
could someone please verify if I am using the correct feynman diagram
it's the correct diagram for this case.

Jouleand said:
potentially explain how the strange and anti-up quark produce a W-boson?
This question is vague. In the quark sector, W bosons don't interact with mass eigenstates but with weak eigenstates. One can choose the down type quarks (|q|=1/3) to write them in the weak eigenstates, d'_i (i identifies the generation), which are related to the mass eigenstates d_i with the CKM matrix elements d'_i = V^{CKM}_{ij} d_j . Eg the interaction of W with (u,d') in terms of quark mass eigenstates is u ( V^{CKM}_{ud} d + V^{CKM}_{us} s + V^{CKM}_{ub} b ) W . As a result of this you can have ud,us,ub interactions with W-bosons (of course the CKM matrix is an almost diagonal unitary matrix and so the further away in generations you look, the weaker the couplings get, something you can see as "CKM suppressed").
 
mfb said:
@vanhees71: Huh? The diagram is correct.

This forum supports LaTeX, the neutrino can be written as ##\bar \nu_\mu## —> ##\bar \nu_\mu##.
Perhaps, I misread the labels on the diagram, but a kaon doesn't consist of an s quark and an anti-neutrino!
 
I'm quite sure that is a "##\overline u##" at the lower left. The ##\nu## at the lower right is not round at the bottom.
 
Argh. Yes, then it's of course right. Sorry for the confusion.
 

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