Tauon

Key Stage 5

Meaning

A Tauon (τ) is a type of lepton with a mass much greater than that of an electron and a charge of -1.60x10^-19 Coulombs (the same as an electron).

About Tauons

The tauon is denoted with the Greek letter τ ('tau').

Tauons are fundamental particles as they are not made of any smaller particles.

Tauons have a very short half life and will decay into an electron, a tauon-neutrino and an antielectron-neutrino.

Tauons are affected by the:

• Weak Nuclear Interaction
• Electromagnetic Interaction
• Gravitational Interaction

Lepton	Charge/e	Strangeness	Baryon Number	Lepton Number
Tauon	\(Q=-1\)	\(S=0\)	\(B=0\)	\(L=+1\)
Tauon-neutrino	\(Q=0\)	\(S=0\)	\(B=0\)	\(L=+1\)
Antitauon	\(Q=+1\)	\(S=0\)	\(B=0\)	\(L=-1\)
Antitauon-neutrino	\(Q=0\)	\(S=0\)	\(B=0\)	\(L=-1\)