Beta Decay and Lepton Number Conservation
During beta-minus decay, a neutron converts to a proton and emits an electron. What additional particle must be emitted to conserve lepton number, and why is this particle extremely difficult to detect?
A
An antineutrino, because it interacts only via weak and gravitational forces
B
A neutrino, because it has no electric charge
C
An antineutrino, because it has zero rest mass
D
A neutrino, because it travels at exactly the speed of light
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