Timeline for Why is positron in the Feynman Diagram for β+ decay directed towards the W+?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
4 events
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| Sep 22, 2021 at 9:57 | comment | added | J.G. | @spraff To use CPT we have to wind everything backwards. The outcome is not "a $W^+$ is produced, but we have to hope an electron turns up to absorb it"; it's that $e^-+\bar{\nu}_e\to W^-$ occurred, followed by $\bar{d}+W^-\to\bar{u}$. | |
| Sep 22, 2021 at 9:37 | comment | added | spraff | This answers my question, thanks, but to follow up: if an electron is being absorbed then what happens if a W+ is produced without there being an electron around to absorb? Or is that situation isn't possible then is it reasonable to claim that an absorbed electron (which has to initially exist) is really equivalent to an emitted positron (which does not have to initially exist)? | |
| Sep 22, 2021 at 9:34 | vote | accept | spraff | ||
| Sep 22, 2021 at 9:23 | history | answered | J.G. | CC BY-SA 4.0 |