Question

Higgs boson has hypercharge of +1 and isospin of -1/2.

W bosons have hypercharge 0 and isospin +-1.

Now Higgs boson can decay into 2 W bosons of opposite electric charge. No matter how hard I try, the quantum numbers don't add up.

Is hypercharge and isospin not conserved in Higgs decays?

Answer 1

The question seems to be based on a misconception regarding the Higgs boson's quantum numbers, as hypercharge and isospin are conserved during its decay into two W bosons when the correct values are used.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student's question pertains to the conservation of quantum numbers, specifically hypercharge and isospin, during the decay of the Higgs boson into two W bosons with opposite electric charges.

According to the Standard Model of particle physics, quantities like hypercharge and isospin are indeed conserved in such decays. However, the values provided by the student for the Higgs boson's hypercharge and isospin are incorrect.

The correct hypercharge of the Higgs boson is indeed +1, but its isospin should be 0 rather than -1/2. The W bosons have isospin components of ±1, but for conservation, we observe a combination of the two that results in zero net isospin, which is consistent with the isospin of the Higgs boson.

Additionally, electric charge is conserved as the Higgs is neutral and decays into one positively charged W+ boson and one negatively charged W- boson. The given values and decay process suggest a misconception, as conservation laws are fundamental to particle decay processes and would indeed be conserved during the Higgs decay into W bosons, taking into account the correct quantum numbers.