High School Is Z0 Particle Real Without Flavor-Changing Interactions?

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SUMMARY

The existence of the Z0 boson is confirmed through flavor-conserving interactions, specifically the electron-positron collisions at the Z0 resonance. Despite the absence of flavor-changing Z0 interactions, the particle can still be detected via its decay into particle-antiparticle pairs. Experimental evidence shows that flavor-changing decays, such as those involving electron-antimuon pairs, are not observed, with an upper limit of approximately 10-6. The conservation of charge during Z0 interactions is a key aspect of its detection.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of particle physics concepts, particularly bosons and their interactions.
  • Familiarity with electron-positron collision experiments and their significance in particle detection.
  • Knowledge of flavor conservation in particle decays.
  • Basic grasp of experimental limits in particle physics, such as decay rates and detection thresholds.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the production mechanisms of Z0 bosons in electron-positron colliders.
  • Study the implications of flavor conservation in particle physics.
  • Examine the experimental techniques used to measure decay rates of particles.
  • Explore the role of charge conservation in weak interactions and its effects on particle behavior.
USEFUL FOR

Particle physicists, researchers in high-energy physics, and students studying the interactions of fundamental particles will benefit from this discussion.

AdvaitDhingra
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If there are no flavor changing z0 weak interactions, how do we even know that the particle exists? I thought that we could only tell which particle was exchanged by the particles it decays into. Is this wrong?
 
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How would the absence of flavour changing Z0 interactions preclude the knowledge of its existence? You will still see the decays to particle-antiparticle pairs just the same. The cleanest way of producing Z0 is to collide electrons with positrons at the Z0 resonance.
 
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Orodruin said:
How would the absence of flavour changing Z0 interactions preclude the knowledge of its existence? You will still see the decays to particle-antiparticle pairs just the same. The cleanest way of producing Z0 is to collide electrons with positrons at the Z0 resonance.
Oh ok. So a z0 Boson interaction is one where charge is conserved? (since the z0 carries no charge)
 
Do you see a peak (Z) or not (no Z)?

1618312813823.png
 
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Charge is always conserved.

Flavor-changing Z interactions would allow e.g. electron plus antimuon to Z, or Z to these two particles. We don't observe that decay (experimental upper limit is ~10-6), but of course we see the flavor-conserving electron+positron->Z production (that's what we can actually collide in colliders) and the equally flavor-conserving decays to quark plus matching antiquark.
 

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