How was the W boson detected?

An experiment at CERN in 1982 captured this image depicting debris from a proton-antiproton collision. The path of a high-energy electron (indicated by a red arrow, bottom right) detected in the smashup’s aftermath was consistent with the expected decay of products of a W boson.

Are W bosons real?

All observed particles are real particles in the sense that, unlike virtual particles, their properties are verifiable by experiment. In particular, W and Z bosons are real but unstable particles at energies above the energy equivalent of their rest mass.

Are W bosons matter?

Yes, all bosons are matter.

Are there anti W bosons?

Yes, the W+ and W− gauge bosons that are part of the weak nuclear interaction are antiparticles of each other and can annihilate. The annihilation could produce a variety of things… two photons most likely, but also a lepton/anti-lepton pair, a quark/anti-quark pair, a Z boson, etc.

What does the W boson do?

The W boson, which is electrically charged, changes the very make up of particles. It switches protons into neutrons, and vice versa, through the weak force, triggering nuclear fusion and letting stars burn.

Why do W bosons only exist for a short time?

Because the W boson is much heavier than the up and down quarks—in fact, it’s much heavier than the entire proton—it is necessarily a virtual particle that can only exist for a short time.

What do gluons do?

Gluons are responsible for binding protons and neutrons together inside the nucleus of an atom. This is crucial for building atoms, but this nuclear binding is actually a side effect of what the gluon really does—hold together the quarks that make up protons and neutrons.

How are W bosons formed?

As you know, the beta-minus decay of a nucleus occurs when a neutron turns into a proton, with the emission of an electron and an electron antineutrino. A down quark decays into a W− boson and an up quark. The W− boson subsequently decays into an electron and an electron antineutrino.

Is W boson virtual particle?

The Feynman diagram for this process rightly shows W boson as an internal line signifying that it’s a virtual particle. Extreme short lifetime of these mediators means that they are within Energy-time uncertainty limit and such small perturbations are allowed in Quantum Theory.

What does W boson do?