The weak force or the weak interaction is, with the force of gravitation, the electromagnetic Force, and the strong Interaction, one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It is responsible for the Désintégration β. It is carried by the Boson S W (W⁺ and W^-) and Z (Z⁰).

The weak interaction brings into play:

• the Neutrino S
• the Lepton S charged
• the Quark S

The weak interaction allows all the leptons and the quarks to exchange energy, Masse and load, enabling them to change family and savor.

With a field 10 9 time weaker than that of the strong Interaction (10 -18 m), its influence is limited to the Atomic nucleus. This short range is explained by the great mass of the particles vectors of the weak interaction (approximately 90 GeV).

The weak interaction is the only fundamental interaction which violates the Symétrie P, the Symétrie C as well as the Symétrie CP

The electromagnetic Force and the weak interaction can be described like two aspects of only one électrofaible Interaction.

Intensity

As its name indicates it, this fundamental force is weakest of the nongravitational interactions. It is 1000 times less than the electromagnetic force and 100  000 times less than the strong nuclear force. This very small power, compared to the other interactions is explained inter alia by the fact why its sphere of activity is very limited.

However, its intensity grows quickly with the energy of the involved particles, with the result that it catches up with the electromagnetic interaction towards a few tens of GeV. It is on this level that it mixes with it in a unified theory.

With the energies usually considered in Nuclear physics, one uses a simplified effective interaction (force of Fermi).

Only the gravitational force is even weaker. But it grows even more quickly with energy than the weak interaction, leaves open the possibility of a unification of all the elementary interactions.

See too

• Law of the electromagnetic gravitation

• Force
• strong Interaction

Zh-min-nan: Jio̍k it ̍t

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