The Student Room Group
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>
Uni students - Complete our survey >>

Annihilation

If say an antiparticle and particle collide their total mass is converted to photons. But reading in my text book it goes on about, say if, a proton and antiproton collide in accelerators, they can give different antiparticle and particles :s Does this mean annihilation doesn't always result in photons ?
No, the energy equivalence does not have to be transferred into all photons. Many subatomic particles of lower energy can be made from a high energy annihilation, depending on the type/place/composition of the particles involved. For example, the proton antiproton annihilation could potentially make muons, and W bosons.
Reply 2
Avatar for Asad_2015
Asad_2015
OP
12
Original post by The-Spartan
No, the energy equivalence does not have to be transferred into all photons. Many subatomic particles of lower energy can be made from a high energy annihilation, depending on the type/place/composition of the particles involved. For example, the proton antiproton annihilation could potentially make muons, and W bosons.

There fore what ur saying is that we always get photons but some of the k.e can be converted to mass in the creation of these new particles
Original post by Asad_2015
There fore what ur saying is that we always get photons but some of the k.e can be converted to mass in the creation of these new particles


Not Exactly :smile:
Photons are not always made, just pretty much most of the time :smile:
E=mc2E=mc^2 works both ways :biggrin:
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 4
Avatar for Asad_2015
Asad_2015
OP
12
Original post by The-Spartan
Not Exactly :smile:
Photons are not always made, just pretty much most of the time :smile:
E=mc2E=mc^2 works both ways :biggrin:

But if no photons are produced then is it still called annihilation.
Original post by Asad_2015
But if no photons are produced then is it still called annihilation.


Technically, no... annihilation will always produce photons in one way or another, be it the products decay into photons or the photons are created originally.

But the initial annihilation does not have to always produce photons. In your example of proton antiproton, the valence quarks may annihilate with an anti quark, and then the rest of the quarks will rearrange into some mesons which decay into gamma rays etc. So while not directly producing photons from the initial annihilation, photons are created down the line.
Reply 6
Avatar for Asad_2015
Asad_2015
OP
12
Original post by The-Spartan
Technically, no... annihilation will always produce photons in one way or another, be it the products decay into photons or the photons are created originally.

But the initial annihilation does not have to always produce photons. In your example of proton antiproton, the valence quarks may annihilate with an anti quark, and then the rest of the quarks will rearrange into some mesons which decay into gamma rays etc. So while not directly producing photons from the initial annihilation, photons are created down the line.


thanks your a true spartan :wink:

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you