Weinberg angle
The weak mixing angle or Weinberg angle[2] is a parameter in the Weinberg–Salam theory of the electroweak interaction, part of the Standard Model of particle physics, and is usually denoted as θW. It is the angle by which spontaneous symmetry breaking rotates the original
W0
and
B0
vector boson plane, producing as a result the
Z0
boson, and the photon.[3] Its measured value is slightly below 30°, but also varies, very slightly increasing, depending on how high the relative momentum of the particles involved in the interaction is that the angle is used for.[4]
Details
The algebraic formula for the combination of the
W0
and
B0
vector bosons (i.e. 'mixing') that simultaneously produces the massive
Z0
boson and the massless photon (
γ
) is expressed by the formula
The weak mixing angle also gives the relationship between the masses of the W and Z bosons (denoted as mW and mZ),
The angle can be expressed in terms of the SU(2)L and U(1)Y couplings (weak isospin g and weak hypercharge g′, respectively),
- and
The electric charge is then expressible in terms of it, e = g sin θw = g′ cos θw (refer to the figure).
Because the value of the mixing angle is currently determined empirically, in the absence of any superseding theoretical derivation it is mathematically defined as
The value of θw varies as a function of the momentum transfer, ∆ q , at which it is measured. This variation, or 'running', is a key prediction of the electroweak theory. The most precise measurements have been carried out in electron–positron collider experiments at a value of ∆ q = 91.2 GeV/c , corresponding to the mass of the
Z0
boson, mZ.
In practice, the quantity sin2 θw is more frequently used. The 2004 best estimate of sin2 θw, at ∆ q = 91.2 GeV / c, in the
w = 0.23142 ,[6]
CODATA 2018[4] gives the value
The massless photon (
γ
) couples to the unbroken electric charge, Q = T3 + 1 / 2 Yw , while the
Z0
boson couples to the broken charge T3 − Q sin2 θw .
Footnotes
- ^ The electric charge Q is distinct from the similar-appearing symbol occasionally used for momentum-transfer ∆Q. This article uses ∆q, but upper case is common and may occur in some graphs.
- ^ Note that at present, there is no generally accepted theory that explains why the measured value θw ≈ 29° should be what it is. The specific value is not predicted by the Standard Model: The Weinberg angle θw is an open, free parameter, although it is constrained and predicted through other measurements of Standard Model quantities.
References
- ^ Lee, T.D. (1981). Particle Physics and Introduction to Field Theory.
- .
- ^ ISBN 0-19-851961-3.
- ^ a b "Weak mixing angle". The NIST reference on constants, units, and uncertainty. 2018 CODATA value. National Institute of Standards and Technology. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 2019-05-20.
- ^
Okun, L.B. (1982). Leptons and Quarks. ISBN 0-444-86924-7.
- ^
Aaij, R.; Adeva, B.; Adinolfi, M.; Affolder, A.; Ajaltouni, Z.; Akar, S.; et al. (2015-11-27). "Measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry in Z/γ∗ → μ+μ− decays and determination of the effective weak mixing angle". Journal of High Energy Physics. 2015 (11): 190. S2CID 118478870.
- Erler, J.; Freitas, A.; et al. (Particle Data Group (PDG)) (2019) [revised March 2018]. Review of the Standard Model (PDF) (Report).
- E158: A precision measurement of the weak mixing angle in Møller scattering. Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) (Report). Stanford University.
- Q-weak: A precision test of the Standard Model and determination of the weak charges of the quarks through parity-violating electron scattering. Department of Energy.