Why can't the W boson decay into a top quark?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the question of why the W boson cannot decay into a top quark, exploring concepts related to particle decay, energy conservation, and interactions within the Standard Model of particle physics.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested, Conceptual clarification, Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that the W boson cannot decay into a top quark because the top quark is heavier, implying energy conservation would be violated if lighter particles could decay into heavier ones.
  • Another participant raises a hypothetical scenario involving a high-energy neutrino interacting with an electron, questioning whether this interaction increases the likelihood of a W boson decaying into a top quark.
  • A further response indicates that there is a related process in the Standard Model where an electron-neutrino can interact with a W boson, but frames it as tunneling rather than a direct decay of the W boson into a top quark.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the mechanics of W boson interactions and decay processes, indicating that multiple competing interpretations exist without a clear consensus.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about energy conservation and particle interactions are implied but not explicitly stated, and the discussion does not resolve the complexities of the proposed scenarios.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying particle physics, particularly in the context of the Standard Model and interactions involving W bosons and quarks.

jc09
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Just wondering if anyone could tell me why the W boson cannot decay into the heavier top mass.
 
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Because it's heavier. Energy wouldn't be conserved if light objects could decay to heavy ones.
 
If a neutrino from outer space with energy $10^20eV$ have a elastic scattering with electron...do it have higher possibility for the W-propagator to decay into top quark?
 
There is indeed a process similar to what you're describing that is present in the SM, but you shouldn't think about it as the W decaying so much as the electron-neutrino tunneling through a W into a top and whatever else would be present (bbar?).
 

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