Pair production Flashcards
1
Q
Describe pair production
A
when a photon of sufficient energy can change into its particle and antiparticle when it comes near an atom.
2
Q
why can this only happen when the photon is near the atom?
A
because the atom is needed to conserve momentum.
3
Q
how sufficient does the energy need to be?
A
the energy of the photon needs to be greater than twice the rest energy of the particle.
4
Q
What does any excess energy become?
A
the Ek of the particles.
5
Q
What is the formula for the energy of a photon in pair production?
A
2 x (rest energy of the particle + Ek of the particle)
