Charge density of a positively charged vector boson may be negative

Flambaum, Victor; Kuchiev, Michael

Charge density of a positively charged vector boson may be negative

Authors

Description

The charge density of vector particles, for example W, may change sign. The effect manifests itself even for a free propagation; when the energy of the W-boson is higher than sqrt{2}m and the standing-wave is considered the charge density oscillates in space. The charge density of W also changes sign in close vicinity of a Coulomb center. The dependence of this effect on the g-factor for an arbitrary vector boson, for example rho-meson, is discussed. An origin of this surprising effect is traced to the electric quadrupole moment and spin-orbit interaction of vector particles. Their contributions to the current have a polarization nature. The charge density of this current, rho = -\nabla \cdot P, where P is an effective polarization vector that depends on the quadrupole moment and spin-orbit interaction, oscillates in space, producing zero contribution to the total charge.
4 pages, revtex