Confused About W Bosons: Mass/Energy Inside and Outside Proton?

In summary, the conversation is discussing the concept of W bosons and their role in proton decay. It is clarified that W bosons are not components of protons and are instead virtual particles that carry the weak force. The concept of energy conservation and the role of W bosons in neutron decay is also mentioned. The conversation ends with the acknowledgement of confusion and a correction of misconceptions.
  • #1
Qconfused
2
0
need help, I'm reading that W bosons are 80 GeV, but they are components of protons of ~1 GEV. Makes no sense. Is the 80 GeV the mass/energy of the particle if it is outside the proton? If so what is the mass/energy as a transfer particle within the proton. If you subtract the mass of the quarks from 1GeV is the remaining energy the sum of the energy of the bosons?
 
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  • #2
W bosons are not components of protons. Are you sure you're not confusing them with quarks?
 
  • #3
He might think that by looking at pictures of beta decay, where a VIRTUAL W-boson carries the weak force and couples it between an electron and a neutrino.

He might think that the W-boson preexists as a component of the proton. But that is not how it is really. The W boson is for the first a virtual particle, so it does not satisfy E^2 = p^2 +m^2, secondly energy conservation CAN be violated, but only for a short time. We have that [tex]E\dot t > \hbar/2[/tex], so it is ok for the W boson to just come from "nowere" to "do its job" by chaning the proton to a neutron and creating an electron and a neutrino.
 
  • #4
Thank you malawi, you hit my lapse on several fronts. I was reading about neutron decay to proton with ejection of W- and got to thinking that W- was the boson (gluon) exchange particle. total confusion.
 

1. What are W bosons and how do they relate to protons?

W bosons are subatomic particles that are responsible for mediating the weak nuclear force. They are one of the fundamental particles that make up the Standard Model of particle physics. Protons are made up of quarks, which are held together by the strong nuclear force. The weak nuclear force, which is mediated by W bosons, is responsible for certain types of radioactive decay in protons.

2. Can W bosons exist outside of protons?

Yes, W bosons can exist outside of protons. They can be created in high-energy collisions, such as those that occur in particle accelerators. However, they have a very short lifespan and quickly decay into other particles.

3. How does the mass of a W boson compare to the mass of a proton?

The mass of a W boson is much smaller than the mass of a proton. The mass of a W boson is about 80 times smaller than the mass of a proton, which is approximately 1 GeV/c² (gigaelectron volts per speed of light squared).

4. What is the relationship between mass and energy in W bosons?

According to Einstein's famous equation E=mc², mass and energy are equivalent and can be converted into each other. W bosons, like all subatomic particles, have both mass and energy. The mass of a W boson is a measure of its energy content.

5. Are W bosons responsible for all of the mass/energy inside a proton?

No, W bosons are only responsible for a small portion of the mass/energy inside a proton. The majority of the mass/energy in a proton comes from the strong nuclear force that binds the quarks together. W bosons only play a role in the weak nuclear force, which is responsible for a small amount of the proton's mass/energy.

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