Particles And Radiation Flashcards
What is specific charge?
The ratio of charge to mass
What is an isotope?
A form of an element’s atom with the same proton number but a different number of neutrons
At what range does the strong nuclear force act on nucleons attractively?
3fm - 0.5fm
At separations smaller than ___ the strong nuclear force is repulsive
0.5fm
What does the strong nuclear force have to overcome in order to hold nucleons together?
Electrostatic repulsion between positively charged protons
What happens during beta minus decay?
● A neutron turns into a proton
● It then emits an electron and an electron antineutrino
What happens during Beta plus decay?
● A proton turns into a neutron
● It then emits a positron and an electron neutrino
What happens during Alpha decay?
A helium nucleus is emitted
What is the equation for the energy of a photon?
E = hc/λ
What is an antiparticle?
A particle with the same mass and rest energy as its counterpart, but opposite charges and quantum numbers
What does a particle and corresponding antipartocle do to each other?
Annihilate each other, releasing two photons
In annihilation, why must the emitted photons go in different directions?
To conserve momentum
In pair production, what happens when a photon interacts with a nucleus?
Its energy is converted into the mass of a particle and corresponding antiparticle
What are the 4 fundamental interactions?
Weak nuclear, strong nuclear, electromagnetic, gravity
What are exchange particles?
Force carriers for the fundamental forces
What does the size of an exchange particle determine?
The range of the force - bigger the particle, shorter the range
Describe the process of electron capture
● A proton captures an inner shell electron
● Turns into a neutron and electron neutrino
● A W+ boson is exchanged in the process
Describe the process of electron-proton collision
● Proton and Electron collide
● A W- boson is exchanged
● Electron turns into an electron neutrino
● Proton turns into a neutron
What fundamental force do Hadrons interact by?
Strong nuclear
How many quarks are baryons made from?
3
What particle do all baryons decay into?
Proton
What is the only stable baryon?
The proton
What are the only two baryons you need to know?
Proton and Neutron
What are the two advantages of using high-energy electrons for estimating nuclear radii, rather than alpha particles?
● They have a smaller mass
● They can penetrate deeper into the nucleus
What is one application of annihilation?
In a PET scanner
How many joules is 1MeV?
1.6×10^-13
When is a W boson exchanged?
During interactions involving the weak force (e.g. Beta decay, electron capture)
When is a W boson exchanged?
During interactions involving the weak force (e.g. Beta decay, electron capture)
