Linked Questions
11 questions linked to/from Why are muons considered to be elementary particles in the Standard Model?
35
votes
6
answers
11k
views
Is the Higgs boson an elementary particle? If so, why does it decay? [duplicate]
The Higgs boson is an excitation of the Higgs field and is very massive and short lived. It also interacts with the Higgs field and thus is able to experience mass.
Why does it decay if it is ...
- 13.1k
-1
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How can a truly elementary particle decay into other particles? [duplicate]
Consider (for example) the next particle decays:
The decay of a Higgs and the decay of a muon [in the diagram of which we also see the decay of (virtual) $W^-$ into an electron and its associated ...
32
votes
11
answers
8k
views
Theoretically, could there be different types of protons and electrons?
Me and my friend were arguing. I think there could theoretically be different types of protons, but he says not. He says that if you have a different type of proton, it isn't a proton, it's something ...
- 457
2
votes
10
answers
2k
views
Will a muon decay in an empty universe?
Imagine, a deep empty universe consisting of only one particle muon. Will it decay?
As there isn't any change in its surroundings and thus time will lose its meaning. But if the muon will decay in ...
- 473
6
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Anomaly cancellation in the standard model (calculating the symmetrized trace of generators)
The Problem
We can show that the condition for the Standard Model to be anomaly-free is that the symmetrized trace over the generators of the gauge group vanishes:
\begin{align}
\text{tr} \big(\{\...
- 261
-3
votes
3
answers
3k
views
About the reason why the change of a muon into an electron plus a photon is not seen
Let me state first that I don't think this is a duplicate of the mentioned question, though the basic thought is the same. Nevertheless, I come up with the prequark rishon theory of Harari, which ...
1
vote
3
answers
456
views
Why saying that during electron capture the electron is converted to a neutrino?
Parent question: What came first, neutrons or electrons?
This is about electron capture and neutron decay, and what happens to the electron between two such events.
In the parent question, I was ...
- 3,256
2
votes
2
answers
299
views
Are elementary particles with inertial mass actually composite particles?
In the standard model, electrons, muons and taus are elementary particles i.e. they aren't composed of more fundamental particles. But after watching this YouTube video animated by an actual scientist,...
- 173
1
vote
2
answers
154
views
Why are the generations of leptons/quarks regarded as fundamental particles?
My understanding is that 'fundamental' pertains to there being a distinct quantum field corresponding to the particle. I ask the question above based on the fact that the heavier generations of ...
- 4,067
0
votes
1
answer
190
views
Is the electron spin $g$-factor value implying the particle is a composite one?
As I understood the highest possible value for a magnetic moment of a point charge having the same amount of charge as an electron and rotating with same electron velocity and confined in the same ...
- 2,275
0
votes
1
answer
127
views
What experiments have been done on Identical Particles?
Are elementary particles really identical, or do they have hidden state? I have learned / always assumed that any two electrons are identical and interchangeable; the same for any other elementary ...
- 101