PARTICLE PHYSICS AND QUANTUM PHYSICS A Flashcards
Describe the process of pair production.
-when a gamma ray photon interacts with a nucleus
-producing a particle anti-particle pair
- energy of photon must be > combined rest energies of particles
- nucleus gains backwards momentum to conserve momentum
-extra energy is split evenly into the kinetic energies of the particles
Describe the process of ANNIHILATION.
- when a particle and it’s corresponding antiparticle meet and destroy each other
-mass is converted into energy and split evenly in the form of two gamma photons travelling in opposite directions to conserve momentum - 2RE + KE = 2E
Draw the diagram for beta-minus decay
n –(W- boson)–> p + e- + electron anti-neutrino
Draw the diagram for beta-plus decay
p –(W+ boson)–> n + e+ + electron neutrino
Draw the Feynman Diagram for electron capture.
p + e- –(W+ boson)–> n + electron neutrino
Give the Feynman diagram for electron-proton collision.
p + e- –(W- boson)–> n + electron neutrino
Sketch the Feynman Diagram of EMF repulsion.
two protons on either side, with a virtual photon connecting them.
Must be labeled with gamma symbol, and have no arrows on the virtual photon as it is chargeless
Give the equation for specific charge. Now, without working, explain how you can tell which has the greater magnitude of specific charge: an electron or a proton.
specific charge = Q/m. Since specific charge is directly proportional to 1/m, an electron will certainly have the larger magnitude of specific charge.
A sample of bromine gas contains a mixture of 2 isotopes. Each molecule has 2 bromine atoms. The experiment finds that the bromine molecules contain 158, 160 and 162 nucleons. Bromine has an atomic number of 35. Find the number of neutrons for the isotope with the greater nucleon number.
Let x = nucleon number of isotope 1 and y = nucleon number of isotope 2. y > x.
Form 2 eqns: x + y =160, 2x = 158.
x = 79
y = 81
81-35 = 46.
State the magnitude of charge of an electron. Don’t forget significant figures and include units.
1.60 x 10^-19 C
State the mass of a nucleon. to 3 sig fig.
1.67 x 10 ^ -27 kg
State the value of planck’s constant and give units.
6.63 x 10 ^-34 Js
Describe in full detail, the forces that are responsible for keeping protons and neutrons together in a stable nucleus.
In a nucleus, there is electrostatic force of repulsion between protons
For the nucleus to remain stable, the SNF provides an attractive force between nucleons between 0.5 and 3fm.
Below 0.5fm, the SNF is repulsive to prevent nucleons collapsing into a singularity.
Above 3fm, the SNF is 0 to prevent nucleons in other nuclei being attracted.
Explain, using your knowledge of the ranges of the 4 fundamental forces, why heavier elements require more neutrons than protons to be stable.
The EMF force acts over an infinite range, while the SNF only acts over distances around 10^-15m.
Each proton in the nucleus will experience EMF repulsion from every other proton in the nucleus. However each nucleon only has the SNF force acting from adjacent nucleons.
Therefore the EMF force of repulsion grows exponentially greater than the SNF force of attraction.
This means more neutrons are required, which are not charged and don’t add EMF rupulsion, to provide the extra attractive force to keep the nucleus stable.
Explain why certain types of nuclei undergo alpha decay
very large/heavy nuclei
because they are too massive for the SNF to keep them stable.
State (and explain, although not required knowledge) which certain types of nuclei undergo beta-minus and beta-plus decay.
for beta-minus, neutron rich nuclei
for beta-plus, proton rich nuclei
[NOT REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE] The nuclear shell model says that protons and neutrons exist in energy levels in a nucleus, due to the pauli exclusion principle. If there is an excess of either neutrons of protons, it is energetically favourable for one of the excess to decay into the other and have it fill a lower energy level, where the binding energy is greater.
Describe in full detail, why the existence of the electron anti-neutrino was postulated.
- emitted beta- particles from beta-minus decay have a range of KE from 0 up to a maximum
- but all beta- particles have energies < theoretical total energy (using E = mc^2)
- to conserve energy, there must be an additional particle that carries away some KE.
- electron antineutrino.
State the type of nuclei that undergo gamma decay.
nuclei with excess energy, usually after an alpha or beta decay but not always.
236/92 U undergoes a series of decays to produce 204/82 Pb. How many alpha decays are involved in this process?
8
Explain what is meant by the wave-particle duality of light.
light exhibits both wave-like and particle-like properties
photon
a discrete packet/ quantum of EM energy
Define the unit of the electron-volt.
The energy gained by an electron that passes through a potential difference of 1 volt.
Why are electon-positron pairs more likely to be pair produced than any other pair?
electrons/positrons have the smallest mass and rest energies
which require the least energy to create
Explain why there is a minimum energy in pair production.
Conservation of energy means energy before = energy after
photon must supply at least rest energy of particle and anti-particle to create particles