= Weak interaction
{wiki}
= Weak force
{synonym}
Explains <beta decay>. TODO why/how.
Maybe a good view of why this force was needed given <beta decay> experiments is: in beta decay, a <neutron> is getting split up into an <electron> and a <proton>. Therefore, those charges must be contained inside the neutron somehow to start with. But then what could possibly make a positive and a negative particle separate?
* the <electromagnetic force> should hold them together
* the <strong force> seems to hold positive charges together. Could it then be pushing opposite-charges apart? Why not?
* <gravity> is too weak
http://www.thestargarden.co.uk/Weak-nuclear-force.html gives a quick and dirty:
\Q[Beta decay could not be explained by the strong nuclear force, the force that's responsible for holding the atomic nucleus together, because this force doesn't affect electrons. It couldn't be explained by the electromagnetic force, because this does not affect <neutrons>, and the force of <gravity> is far too weak to be responsible. Since this new atomic force was not as strong as the strong nuclear force, it was dubbed the weak nuclear force.]
Also interesting:
\Q[While the photon 'carries' charge, and therefore mediates the <electromagnetic force>, the <Z boson>[Z] and <W boson>[W] <bosons> are said to carry a property known as 'weak isospin'. <W bosons> mediate the weak force when particles with charge are involved, and <Z bosons> mediate the weak force when neutral particles are involved.]
\Video[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIWTRwJlrGo]
{title=Weak Nuclear Force and <Standard Model> of <particle physics> by <Physics Videos by Eugene Khutoryansky> (2018)}
{description=Some decent visualizations of the field lines.}