Nuclear and Particle Physics

Question 1

Linear accelerator

Answer 1

A machine which accelerates charged particles along a straight line

Question 2

Cyclotron

Answer 2

A circular machine that accelerates charged particles, usually following a spiral path

Question 3

Synchrotron

Answer 3

A machine that accelerates charged particles around a fixed circular path

Question 4

Pair production

Answer 4

The phenomenon in which a particle and its anti-matter equivalent are both created simultaneously in a conversion from energy

Question 5

Annihilation

Answer 5

The phenomenon in which a particle and its anti-matter equivalent are both destroyed simultaneously in a conversion into energy which is carried away by force carrier particles, such as photons

Question 6

Electronvolt

Answer 6

The amount of energy an electron gains by passing through a voltage of 1V.

Question 7

Standard Model

Answer 7

The name given to the theory of all the fundamental particles and how they interact. This is the theory that currently has the strongest experimental evidence

Question 8

Quarks

Answer 8

The six fundamental Particles that interact with each other using the strong nuclear as well as all other forces

Question 9

Leptons

Answer 9

The six fundamental particles which do not interact using the strong nuclear force, only the other three fundamental forces

Question 10

Strong Nuclear Force

Answer 10

Extremely short range force between hadrons such as protons and neutrons

Question 11

Anti-particle

Answer 11

Every particle has an anti-particle, which has the same mass but all their other properties are opposite to those of normal matter particle

Question 12

Baryon

Answer 12

A particle made of a combination of three quarks

Question 13

Meson

Answer 13

A particle made of a combination of a quark and an anti-quark

Question 14

pion

Answer 14

A meson created from any up/down quark/anti-quark pairings

Question 15

kaon

Answer 15

A meson created from any combination of up/down quark/anti-quark and strange/anti-strange pairing

Question 16

Hadron

Answer 16

A particle which can interact via strong nuclear force

Question 17

Exchange Bosons

Answer 17

Particles that enable the transfer of force. Each of the four fundamental forces has its own exchange boson

Question 18

Gravity

Answer 18

The weakest of the four fundamental forces, transmitted by the theoretical graviton particle, and affecting all objects

Question 19

Electromagnetic force

Answer 19

One of four fundamental forces transmitted by photons, acting between objects with charges

Question 20

Strong nuclear force

Answer 20

The strongest of the four fundamental forces, transmitted by gluons acting at very short ranges between hadrons

Question 21

Weak Nuclear Force

Answer 21

One of four fundamental forces, transmitted by W or Z bosons, acting at extremely short ranges. It can affect all matter particles

Question 22

Photons

Answer 22

The quantum of electromagnetic radiation, and force carrier for the electromagnetic force

Question 23

Graviton

Answer 23

The force carrier particle/exchange boson for gravity

Question 24

Alpha decay

Answer 24

The radioactive process in which a particle combination of two protons and two neutrons is ejected from a nucleus

Question 25

Beta-minus decay

Answer 25

The radioactive process in which a nuclear neutron changes into a proton and an electron is ejected from a nucleus

Question 26

Baryon number

Answer 26

The quantum number for baryons, whereby each baryon has a value of B=1

Question 27

Lepton number

Answer 27

The quantum number for leptons, whereby each lepton has a value of L=1

Question 28

Strangeness

Answer 28

The quantum number for strange quarks, whereby each one has a value of S=-1