Pair production & annihilation Flashcards
What is pair annihilation
When particles cease to exist because they collided with their corresponding antiparticle
Particles and antiparticles are converted into what during annihilation
Energy in the form of photons
Another name for energy in the form of photons
Y-rays
What does the law of conservation of momentum cause photons to do
Move in opposite directions after collision
What do photons create during pair production
A particle and a corresponding antiparticle
When does pair production occur
If a photon has enough energy to produce the total rest mass of the two particles
If Ephoton < 2Eo
No pair production takes place
If Ephoton = 2Eo
Pair production takes place
If Ephoton > 2Eo
Surplus energy is converted to e^- and e^+
Does pair production occur spontaneously
Yes
