- #1
rustynail
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Hello!
I have read that in the case of beta decay, a neutron becomes a proton
neutron = proton + electron + antineutrino
but the electron and antineutrino are ''materialized'' by the emission of an intermediate w- boson. What does ''materialize'' mean in this context? I have thought of the w boson inputting the necessary energy to collapse the electron's and antineutrino's wafe function in some place where their probabilities are nonzero.
Can anyone help me understand the meaning of 'materialize' in this context ?
I have read that in the case of beta decay, a neutron becomes a proton
neutron = proton + electron + antineutrino
but the electron and antineutrino are ''materialized'' by the emission of an intermediate w- boson. What does ''materialize'' mean in this context? I have thought of the w boson inputting the necessary energy to collapse the electron's and antineutrino's wafe function in some place where their probabilities are nonzero.
Can anyone help me understand the meaning of 'materialize' in this context ?