weak boson

A weak boson is a particle aspect of the weak force. There are three types, two with an electrical charge (W bosons: W⁺ boson and W^- boson) and one that is neutral (Z boson). They are bosons, termed vector bosons, meaning bosons with a spin of 1, and termed intermediate vector bosons, given they "mediate" a particle interaction, the weak interaction. Unlike photons, they have mass, close to 200 times that of an electron.

Weak interactions involve a weak boson with quarks or with leptons: interactions that either emit or absorb a weak boson. The interactions consist of the creation or annihilation of a pair of quarks or a pair of leptons. Beta decay consists of such an interaction with a pair of quarks effectively changing their flavor, simultaneously emitting a W boson (W⁺ or W^-, indicating its electric charge), the latter decaying, i.e., interacting spontaneously, producing a neutrino and a beta particle (electron or positron). This is termed a charged current interaction as an electric charge is transferred and carried away by the beta particle.

Interactions incorporating the Z boson (i.e., Z⁰, the only type), which carries spin and momentum but no electric charge, are termed neutral current interactions. These occur in elastic scattering, such as that between like-particles (e.g., electrons) and that between neutrinos and other particles.