Weak boson

In particle physics, the W and Z bosons are vector bosons that are together known as the weak bosons or more generally as the intermediate vector bosons. These elementary particlesmediate the weak interaction; the respective symbols are W
, W
, and Z
. The W
 bosons have either a positive or negative electric charge of 1 elementary charge and are each other's antiparticles. The Z
 boson is electrically neutral and is its own antiparticle. The three particles each have a spin of 1. The W
 bosons have a magnetic moment, but the Z
has none. All three of these particles are very short-lived, with a half-life of about 3×10 s. Their experimental discovery was pivotal in establishing what is now called the Standard Model of particle physics.