Beta decay in terms of quarks... (1 Viewer)

[Wintermute]

A neutron can decay into a proton + an electron + an antineutrino.

Now, a neutron is said to consist of an 'Up' quark and two 'Down' quarks. A proton consists of two 'Up' quarks and one 'Down' quark. The electron and the antineutrino are both leptons.

How is it that one of the quarks appears to have changed from a 'Down' quark to an 'Up' quark?

Are the electron and the antineutrino a result of the difference in mass, and hence energy, of the 'changed' quark?

Thank you.

 

[BlackJack]

Yeah... the electron and anti-neutrino leaving changed the down quark to an up quark. The leptons does carry the difference in energy and charge.

Since mass and energy are interchangable, the change in mass doesn't have to equal to the masses of e- and ~v... I think.

 

[Wintermute]

Any idea how the quark changes?

 

[BlackJack]

The quark just 'changes'... there's no process to it as far as we know. It's a little like taking H2 and O2 out of water in electrolysis... The ingredient look nothing like the final products, BUT apparently you can do it again and again (with loss of energy each time of course).