Electroweak Processes in PP Collisions
posted by: dberry
QCD processes only require gluons, but can also involve quarks. The electroweak processes requires a collision between a quark and an anti-quark. The proton has three valence quarks, but no anti-quarks. However, the proton is filled with gluons, which can produce virtual quark, anti-quark pairs. One of these virtual anti-quarks can collide with a valence quark in the proton and produce electroweak particles. Z bosons and photons are produced from a quark and an anti-quark of the same type colliding, such as an up and anti-up quark. W bosons are produced when a quark and an anti-quark of a different type collide. A W+ can be produced when an up valence quarks collides with an anti-down sea quark, and a W- can be produced from a down valence quark colliding with an anti-up sea quark.
Tags: Particle Physics