W boson

E1916

The W boson is a massive elementary particle that mediates the weak nuclear force and is responsible for processes like beta decay in the Standard Model of particle physics.

Aliases (3)

Statements (70)
Predicate Object
instanceOf elementary particle
gauge boson
vector boson
weak interaction mediator
constrains Standard Model parameters
couplesTo Higgs boson
W boson
Z boson
left-handed fermions
leptons
photon
quarks
decaysTo lepton + neutrino
quark + antiquark
doesNotParticipateIn strong interaction
hasBranchingRatioToHadrons about 68%
hasBranchingRatioToLeptons about 32%
hasChargeConjugation not an eigenstate of C
hasChargeCurrent V–A structure
hasColorCharge colorless
hasDiscoveryFacility Super Proton Synchrotron
hasElectricCharge +1 e
-1 e
hasHelicity ±1
hasInteraction weak interaction
hasIsospin 1
hasMass about 1.43×10^-25 kg
about 80.379 GeV/c^2
hasNameOrigin weak force
hasParity -1
hasRestLifetime about 3×10^-25 s
hasSpin 1
hasStatistics bosonic
hasSymbol W
hasVariant W+ boson
W- boson
hasWeakIsospin 1
hasWidth about 2.085 GeV
isChargedCurrentMediator true
isComposite false
isFundamental true
isGaugeBosonOf SU(2)_L
isMassive true
isPartnerOf Z boson
isPartOf electroweak gauge bosons
isProducedIn electron–positron collisions
proton–antiproton collisions
proton–proton collisions
isRelevantFor CP violation studies
collider phenomenology
flavor physics
isShortLived true
isTestedBy precision electroweak measurements
mediates weak nuclear force
mediatesProcess beta decay
lepton flavor changing weak processes
muon decay
nuclear beta minus decay
nuclear beta plus decay
obeys Bose–Einstein statistics
participatesIn electroweak interaction
partOf Standard Model
wasDiscoveredAt CERN
wasDiscoveredBy UA1 experiment
UA2 experiment
wasDiscoveredIn 1983
wasPredictedBy Abdus Salam
Sheldon Glashow
Steven Weinberg
electroweak theory


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