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A capital Z with a nought superscript, the neutral weak carrier.
Also known as: Z boson, Neutral weak boson, Z zero
The Z boson is the electrically neutral weak carrier, and its existence was predicted before it was found — the discovery of neutral-current interactions in 1973 was the evidence, and the particle itself was seen at CERN in 1983.
Denotes the neutral weak gauge boson, mediator of neutral-current weak interactions.
Contexts: Laboratory
Was predicted by electroweak theory and confirmed by the observation of neutral currents before the particle itself was produced.
Contexts: Laboratory
Does not change flavour, unlike the W, which is why flavour-changing neutral currents are so strongly suppressed.
Contexts: Laboratory
A capital letter Z, two horizontal strokes joined by a diagonal, with a small raised numeral zero.