How far do W+ - and Z guage bosons travel in m?

In summary, the conversation discusses the speed and half life of bosons inside neutrinos, and the calculation of their distance traveled in a given time span. The result is approximately 0.9 femtometers, or 0.3 yoctoseconds, which is a very small distance and time measurement. The conversation also mentions the correct formula for calculating distance and clarifies the measurement units being discussed.
  • #1
HawkI
39
0
This is as far as I've got so far but I think I'm stuck. These bosons are inside neutrinos and they go near the speed of light. The half life of these bosons (lambada) is 3*(10-25) s

The speed of light (c) is 299 792 458m/s

So I did this c / 3*(10-25) = 9.993081931m/s

I just don't have a good feeling about this.
 
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  • #2
d = vt, not v/t.
 
  • #3
So Distance is equal to Velocity multiplied by Time, ok thank you.

Therefore 299 792 458 * 3*10-25 = 8.9937737-16 m/s

So that's roughly 9 femto metres?
 
  • #4
m, not m/s. We're talking about distance, right?

And 1 femtometer (fm) is 10-15 m so 9 x 10-16 m = 0.9 fm.
 
  • #5
Oh yeah woops I did indeed mean m, I even pressed edit on that post to check and I still missed that.
Wow thank you so the answer then is that these gauge bosons travel 0.9 fm. in there time span of 0.00000003 atto seconds?

Edit I looked up SI units on Wikipedia, they have more SI units than my Maths dictionary. 0.3 ym yocto seconds
 
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FAQ: How far do W+ - and Z guage bosons travel in m?

How is the distance traveled by W+ and Z gauge bosons measured?

The distance traveled by W+ and Z gauge bosons can be measured using various methods, such as particle detectors and colliders. Particle detectors track the paths of these bosons by detecting the particles produced when they decay, while colliders accelerate the particles and measure their trajectories.

What is the maximum distance that W+ and Z gauge bosons can travel?

The maximum distance that W+ and Z gauge bosons can travel is determined by their half-lives, which is the time it takes for half of the particles to decay. For W+ bosons, the half-life is approximately 3.2 x 10^-25 seconds, while for Z bosons, it is approximately 2.6 x 10^-25 seconds. This means that they can travel a maximum distance of about 0.1 millimeters before decaying.

How does the distance traveled by W+ and Z gauge bosons compare to other particles?

Compared to other particles, W+ and Z gauge bosons have relatively short lifetimes and therefore travel much shorter distances. For example, the lifetime of a proton is about 10^33 times longer than that of a W+ boson, meaning it can travel much farther before decaying.

Can W+ and Z gauge bosons travel faster than the speed of light?

No, W+ and Z gauge bosons cannot travel faster than the speed of light. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, the speed of light is the maximum speed at which any particle can travel. This applies to all particles, including W+ and Z bosons.

How does the distance traveled by W+ and Z gauge bosons affect their role in the Standard Model of particle physics?

The distance traveled by W+ and Z gauge bosons is an important factor in their role in the Standard Model of particle physics. Their short lifetimes allow them to mediate the weak nuclear force, which is responsible for radioactive decay. The short distances they can travel also explain why this force is relatively weak compared to the strong nuclear force, which is mediated by particles with much longer lifetimes and therefore can act over longer distances.

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