Leptonilukujen

Leptonilukujen, often translated as lepton numbers, are a set of quantum numbers used in particle physics to characterize fundamental particles called leptons. There are three conserved lepton numbers, one for each of the three lepton flavors: electron, muon, and tau. These numbers are assigned as follows: electrons, electron neutrinos, and their antiparticles have electron lepton numbers +1, -1, and -1 respectively. Similarly, muons and muon neutrinos have muon lepton numbers +1, -1, and -1, and tau leptons and tau neutrinos have tau lepton numbers +1, -1, and -1. All other particles, such as quarks and bosons, have a lepton number of zero for all flavors.

The principle of conservation of lepton number states that the total lepton number for each flavor remains constant in any physical interaction. For example, in beta decay, a neutron decays into a proton, an electron, and an electron antineutrino. The initial state has an electron lepton number of zero. The final state has an electron lepton number of +1 from the electron and -1 from the electron antineutrino, summing to zero. This conservation law is a fundamental aspect of the Standard Model of particle physics and has been experimentally verified. While lepton number conservation is a well-established principle, some theoretical models propose scenarios where it might be violated, particularly in very high-energy interactions or through processes like neutrino oscillations. However, current experimental evidence strongly supports its conservation.