W and Z bosons

W and Z bosons are massive elementary particles that mediate the weak interaction. W bosons mediate processes that change particle type, while the Z boson mediates neutral weak interactions.

Weak interaction: A fundamental interaction responsible for processes such as beta decay and neutrino scattering. W and Z bosons are its force carriers.
Electroweak theory: The gauge theory that unifies electromagnetic and weak interactions within the Standard Model. Its symmetry structure and symmetry breaking account for the bosons’ properties.
Elementary particle: A particle with no known substructure in current physical theories. W and Z bosons are classified as elementary particles.
Beta decay: A radioactive decay in which a nucleus changes its proton or neutron count through weak interactions. A virtual W boson mediates the underlying conversion of a neutron into a proton, electron, and antineutrino.
Photon: The massless elementary particle that mediates electromagnetic interactions. Unlike W and Z bosons, it is massless and mediates a long-range force.
W boson: A charged, massive elementary particle that mediates charged-current weak interactions. Its exchange changes quarks or leptons into related particle types.
Higgs mechanism: A process by which electroweak symmetry breaking gives mass to W and Z bosons. It explains why these force carriers are massive while the photon is massless.
Gauge boson: A boson associated with a gauge field that mediates a fundamental interaction. W and Z bosons are gauge bosons of the electroweak theory.
Neutrino scattering: A collision in which a neutrino transfers energy and momentum to another particle. W and Z exchange produce its charged-current and neutral-current forms.
Gluon: A massless gauge boson that mediates the strong interaction between quarks and gluons. Gluons carry color charge, unlike the electroweak bosons.

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