They measured quark mixing through superallowed nuclear beta decay, a highly precise and fast type of beta decay where a proton in one nucleus changes into a neutron (or vice versa) without ...

Beta (\(\beta^-\)) decay is the release of an electron by the change of a neutron to a proton. The neutron (charge = 0) is made up of one up quark (charge = \(\frac{2}{3}\)) and two down quarks ...

for example switching a down quark to an up quark or vice versa in beta decay. It sounds quirky, but it is far from irrelevant: only the action of the weak force changing protons into neutrons ...

Beta decay involves the conversion of a down quark to an up quark. This changes a neutron into a proton plus an electron. The proton stays in the nucleus and the electron leaves the atom with high ...