Editing Vector boson

{{Short description|Boson with Spin 1}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
In [[particle physics]], a '''vector boson''' is a [[boson]] whose [[Spin (physics)|spin]] equals one. Vector bosons that are also [[elementary particle]]s are [[gauge boson]]s, the [[force carrier]]s of [[fundamental interaction]]s. Some [[composite particle]]s are vector bosons, for instance any [[vector meson]] ([[quark]] and [[antiquark]]). During the 1970s and 1980s, [[intermediate vector boson]]s (the W and Z bosons, which mediate the weak interaction) drew much attention in [[particle physics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.europhysicsnews.org/articles/epn/pdf/1983/10/epn19831410p1.pdf|title=Intermediate Vector Bosons: Production and Identification at the CERN Proton-Antiproton Collider|first1=G.|last1=Barianti|first2=E.|last2=Gabathuler|date=October 1983|publisher=Europhysics News|access-date=June 2, 2021|pages=6, 14}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Physics of Intermediate Vector Boson|first1=John|last1=Ellis|first2=Mary K.|last2=Gaillard|first3=Georges|last3=Girardi|first4=Paul|last4=Sorba|journal=Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science|publisher=Annual Reviews|date=1982|volume=32|pages=443–497|doi=10.1146/annurev.ns.32.120182.002303|bibcode=1982ARNPS..32..443E|doi-access=free|url=https://cloudfront.escholarship.org/dist/prd/content/qt7q33n3bt/qt7q33n3bt.pdf}}</ref>

A '''pseudovector boson''' is a vector boson that has even [[Parity (physics)|parity]], whereas "regular" vector bosons have odd parity. There are no fundamental pseudovector bosons, but there are [[pseudovector meson]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Intermediate vector boson {{!}} subatomic particle {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/intermediate-vector-boson |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

== In relation to the Higgs boson ==
[[Image:BosonFusion-Higgs.svg|thumb|[[Feynman diagram]] of the fusion of two [[electroweak]] vector bosons to the scalar [[Higgs boson]], which is a prominent process of the generation of Higgs bosons at particle accelerators (q: [[quark]] particle, W and Z: vector bosons of the [[electroweak interaction]], [[Higgs boson|H<sup>0</sup>]]: Higgs boson)]]{{np}}
The [[W and Z bosons|W and Z]] particles interact with the Higgs boson as shown in the [[Feynman diagram]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livescience.com/27888-newfound-particle-is-higgs.html|title=Confirmed! Newfound Particle Is a Higgs Boson|website=[[Live Science]]|date=14 March 2013|publisher=}}</ref>

== Explanation ==
The name ''vector boson'' arises from [[quantum field theory]]. The [[vector component|component]] of such a particle's spin along any axis has the three [[eigenvalue]]s −{{mvar|ħ}}, 0, and +{{mvar|ħ}} (where {{mvar|ħ}} is the [[reduced Planck constant]]), meaning that any measurement of its spin can only yield one of these values. (This is true for [[rest mass|massive]] vector bosons; the situation differs for [[massless particle]]s such as the photon, for reasons beyond the scope of this article. See ''[[Wigner's classification]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bjps.oxfordjournals.org/content/40/2/287.full.pdf|title=Some Comments Regarding Spin and Relativity|author=Weingard, Robert|author-link=Robert Weingard}}</ref>)

The space of spin [[quantum state|states]] therefore is a discrete [[degrees of freedom (physics and chemistry)|degree of freedom]] consisting of three states, the same as the number of components of a [[Euclidean vector|vector]] in three-dimensional space. [[Quantum superposition]]s of these states can be taken such that they transform under [[rotation formalisms in three dimensions|rotations]] just like the spatial components of a rotating vector<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Franzosi |first1=Diogo Buarque |last2=Gallinaro |first2=Michele |last3=Ruiz |first3=Richard |last4=Aarrestad |first4=Thea K. |last5=Cetorelli |first5=Flavia |last6=Chiesa |first6=Mauro |last7=Costantini |first7=Antonio |last8=Denner |first8=Ansgar |last9=Dittmaier |first9=Stefan |date=2022 |title=Vector boson scattering processes: Status and prospects |journal=Reviews in Physics |volume=8 |doi=10.1016/j.revip.2022.100071 |arxiv=2106.01393 |language=en}}</ref> (the so-called [[representation theory of SU(2)|'''3''' representation of SU(2)]]). If the vector boson is taken to be the [[quantum]] of a field, the field is a [[vector field]], hence the name.

The ''boson'' part of the name arises from the [[spin-statistics relation]], which requires that all integer spin particles be bosons.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Candemir |first1=N. |last2=Ahmed |first2=F. |date=2023-03-24 |title=Generalized Vector Boson Oscillator in (1+2)-Dimensional Gürses Space-Time |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00601-023-01795-z |journal=Few-Body Systems |language=en |volume=64 |issue=2 |pages=13 |doi=10.1007/s00601-023-01795-z |issn=1432-5411 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Scalar boson]]
* [[Maxwell's equations]]
* [[Proca action]]

== References ==
{{reflist|25em}}
{{Particles}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vector Boson}}
[[Category:Bosons]]
[[Category:Mesons]]
[[Category:Gauge theories]]
[[Category:Particle physics]]
[[Category:Subatomic particles with spin 1| ]]