W boson
Charged force mediator
A W boson is one of two elementary particles (along with the Z boson) that carry the weak nuclear force—the fundamental force responsible for radioactive decay.
W bosons come in positive and negative varieties (W+ and W−) and are among the heaviest known elementary particles.
Their discovery in 1983 confirmed key predictions of the Standard Model of particle physics.
- weak forceFundamental interaction causing radioactive decay
- particleMinute piece of matter
- particle physicsStudy of subatomic constituents
- decayGradual organic breakdown
- CERNEuropean nuclear research organization
Large Hadron Collider · collider · mass · Higgs · interaction · symmetry · standard model · charged · radioactive · beta decay · mediator · Nobel Prize · accelerator · high energy · annihilation · spin · virtual · heavy
- charged particlesion, cation, anion, proton, electron
- particleselectrons, electron, protons, proton, neutrons
- Fundamental Physicsgravity, electromagnetism, strong force, weak force, electromagnetic force
- particle physicsquark, quarks, lepton, leptons, fermion
- beta decaybeta particle, beta radiation, electron emission, antineutrino, neutrino
- Bosonsphoton, gluon, meson, pion