The four types of leptons are the electron, muon, tau, and their corresponding neutrinos.

Leptons are fundamental particles that do not experience the strong nuclear force, and they are not composed of smaller constituents. There are six known types of leptons, categorized into three generations. The first generation consists of the electron, which carries a negative charge, along with its corresponding neutrino, which is electrically neutral. The second generation includes the muon, which resembles the electron but has a significantly greater mass, along with its associated neutrino. The third generation comprises the tau, which is even heavier than the muon, together with its corresponding neutrino.

Each lepton has an associated antiparticle with an opposite charge. For instance, the antiparticle of the electron is known as the positron. When a lepton encounters its antiparticle, they annihilate each other, resulting in the release of energy in the form of gamma rays.

Leptons play a crucial role in various fields of physics, including particle physics and astrophysics. They are essential for studying the properties of the weak nuclear force and for understanding the behavior of matter in extreme environments, such as those found near black holes and during supernova explosions. The discovery of the neutrino, a type of lepton that interacts very weakly with matter, has provided valuable insights into the nature of the universe and the behavior of subatomic particles.