Werner Heisenberg calculated that the force exerted by particles thought to drive this interaction went as the negative fifth power of radius, and differed from experimental values by a factor of one million. That “tentative” theory of this interaction, which predicts a cross section proportional to the square of energy in a four-fermion contact mechanism, was posited by Enrico Fermi. Measurements of gamma ray anisotropy served as a control in an experiment testing a prediction about this interaction made by Lee and Yang. Cooled (*) cobalt-60 atoms in a polarizing magnetic field were found to emit electrons asymmetrically in an experiment testing this force conducted by Chien-Shiung Wu. This parity-violating force is mediated by W and Z bosons. For 10 points, name this fundamental force responsible for beta decay. ■END■
ANSWER: weak nuclear force [accept beta decay before the end; accept the Fermi interaction before “Fermi”; prompt on electroweak interaction or nuclear interactions]
<JC, Physics>
= Average correct buzz position