The key difference between W and Z bosons is that the W boson particle has a mass of about 80 GeV/c2 whereas the Z boson has a mass of about 90 GeV/c2.
Bosons are a type of particle with integer spin. Therefore, these particles are not constrained by the Pauli exclusion principle. We can describe the energy distribution of these particles using Bose-Einstein statistics. Some examples of bosons include fundamental particles such as photons, gluons, etc. It includes both elementary particles and composite particles, i.e. mesons. One important characteristic of these particles is that they do not restrict the number of particles that occupy the same quantum state. Bosons are called “force carriers” due to this reason. Moreover, they act as the glue that holds the matter together. Moreover, the wave function, which describes a collection of bosons, must be symmetric with respect to the exchange of identical particles.
According to particle physics, W and Z bosons, also together known as weal bosons or intermediate vector bosons, are vector bosons.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are W Bosons
3. What are Z Bosons
4. W vs Z Bosons in Tabular Form
5. Summary – W vs Z Bosons
What are W Bosons?
W bosons are a type of bosons that are named after the meaning “Weak force.” There are two major W boson particles. These two are verified mediators of neutrino and emission. These processes involve the W± boson change that can induce electron or positron emission or absorption, which causes nuclear transmutation. The mass of a W boson particle is about 80 GeV/c2.
Figure 01: Beta Negative Decay
Usually, W bosons are known for their role in nuclear decay. For instance, the beta decay of cobalt-60 does not involve the whole cobalt-60 nucleus, but it can affect only one of the 33 neutrinos. This neutrino converts into a proton upon emitting an electron and an electron antineutrino. Since a neutrino is not an elementary particle, but a composite of an up quark and two down quarks, one of the down quarks that can interact in beta decay turns into an up quark, forming a proton.
What are Z Bosons?
Z bosons are a type of boson particle that has the meaning “zero electric charges”. This particle was named by the physicist Steven Weinberg as an additional particle that is required for the atomic model. The Z boson particle can mediate the transfer of momentum, spin, and energy upon the scattering of neutrinos elastically from matter. This is a process that can conserve charge. This type of behavior can be commonly found in inelastic neutrino interactions and can also be seen in bubble chambers upon irradiation with neutrino beams. The mass of a Z particle is about 90 GeV/c2.
Figure 02: A Bubble Chamber
Moreover, Z bosons are not involved in the absorption or emission processes of electrons or positrons. If we observe an electron as a new free particle that can suddenly move with kinetic energy, this particle is inferred to be a result of the interaction between a neutrino and an electron. This is because this behavior happens more often in the presence of a neutrino beam. Moreover, this process involves the simple striking of electrons by the neutrino, which then scatters away from it. This transfers some of the neutrino’s momentum to the electron.
What is the Difference Between W and Z Bosons?
W and Z bosons are important particle types in particle physics. The key difference between W and Z bosons is that the W boson particle has a mass of about 80 GeV/c2, whereas the Z boson has a mass of about 90 GeV/c2. Moreover, while W bosons are electrically charged, Z bosons are electrically not charged.
The below infographic presents the differences between W and Z bosons in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – W vs Z Bosons
W bosons are a type of bosons that are named after the meaning “Weak force,” while Z bosons are a type of boson particles that are named after the meaning “zero electric charges”. The key difference between W and Z bosons is that the W boson particle has a mass of about 80 GeV/c2, whereas the Z boson has a mass of about 90 GeV/c2.
Reference:
1. “W Boson: Sunshine and Stardust.” CERN.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Beta Negative Decay” By Joel Holdsworth (Joelholdsworth) – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “CERN-20060225-24” (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia