How do muons decay?

Muons decay through the weak interaction, transforming into an electron, two neutrinos, and energy.

Muons are unstable particles that decay through the weak interaction, which is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. The weak interaction is responsible for processes such as beta decay, where a neutron in an atomic nucleus transforms into a proton, an electron, and an antineutrino. In the case of muon decay, the muon transforms into an electron, two neutrinos, and energy.

The decay of a muon is a random process, meaning that it is impossible to predict exactly when a given muon will decay. However, physicists have been able to measure the average lifetime of a muon, which is approximately 2.2 microseconds. This means that if a large number of muons are present, we can expect roughly 2.2% of them to decay in any given microsecond.

The decay of muons is an important process in particle physics, as it provides a way to study the properties of the weak interaction. By measuring the rate and energy spectrum of muon decay products, physicists can test the predictions of the Standard Model of particle physics, which describes the behavior of all known particles and forces. Muon decay is also used in a variety of practical applications, such as in medical imaging and radiation therapy.