Massive charged spin-1 gauge boson mediating the charged-current weak interaction (e.g. β-decay: n → p + e⁻ + ν̄_e proceeds via virtual W⁻). Mass ≈ 80.377 GeV/c². Discovered at CERN UA1/UA2 (1983). W⁺ and W⁻ are each other's antiparticles.
Massive charged spin-1 gauge boson mediating the charged-current weak interaction (e.g. β-decay: n → p + e⁻ + ν̄_e proceeds via virtual W⁻). Mass ≈ 80.377 GeV/c². Discovered at CERN UA1/UA2 (1983). W⁺ and W⁻ are each other's antiparticles.