Creation of a fundamental particle

In summary: The minimum energy of course depends on the chosen reference frame. So if you create a virtual W-boson by whatever process that decays into an electron and a neutrino, the minimum energy should be the mass energy of the electron plus that of the neutrino plus the necessary kinetic energy to balance the momenta - all taken in the rest frame of the center of mass of the final particles.
  • #1
Ezio3.1415
159
1
Do I always have to use pair production for the fundamental particles... If I have to produce a fermion,I have to create an anti fermion at the same time? what about bosons? i mean what about those who doesn't have antiparticle? Or do I have to create 2 of them as they themselves are their own anti particle?
 
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  • #2
Ezio3.1415 said:
Do I always have to use pair production for the fundamental particles... If I have to produce a fermion,I have to create an anti fermion at the same time? what about bosons? i mean what about those who doesn't have antiparticle? Or do I have to create 2 of them as they themselves are their own anti particle?

I'm a bit puzzled here.

An electron is a "fundamental particle". I can create it easily via either the photoelectric effect, or thermionic emission. I have created no positron in that process, i.e. I didn't use any pair production.

Zz.
 
  • #3
@ZapperZ
The photoelectric effect does not create electrons - they are already present in the metal; the photon absorption just provides enough energy to free them.

@Ezio
Yes, to create a fermion from a bosonic state, you always have to create an anti-fermion. But it is not necessarily the antiparticle - for example, a W-boson can decay to an electron and a anti-neutrino.
This also answers the second question - In principle, you can create a single boson (for example a W-Boson from an electron and anti-neutrino. However, usually you'll need some other particle to balance energy and momentum, for example when an electron and a positron annihilate, they form two photons, not one.
 
  • #4
I meant 'creation'... Zapperz

Sonderval: yeah u understood my ques... "a W-boson can decay to an electron and a anti-neutrino." but that's the case of beta decay... Suppose someone asks me what's the least energy required to create electron... I will say 2mc^2 as I have to create a positron too... But if someone only says fundamental particle,what should I say? E or 2E?
 
  • #5
Sonderval said:
@Ezio
Yes, to create a fermion from a bosonic state, you always have to create an anti-fermion. But it is not necessarily the antiparticle - for example, a W-boson can decay to an electron

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but conservation of charge is what comes into play here. If you had Q=0 and the create a single electron (without the oppositely charged positron) Q is no longer conserved in that process and therefore not allowed.

Particle interactions cannot violate conservation laws and there are a lot of them ;-)
 
  • #6
@Ezio
What's wrong with beta-decay?
The minimum energy of course depends on the chosen reference frame. So if you create a virtual W-boson by whatever process that decays into an electron and a neutrino, the minimum energy should be the mass energy of the electron plus that of the neutrino plus the necessary kinetic energy to balance the momenta - all taken in the rest frame of the center of mass of the final particles.
I'm not sure that's a very meaningful number, though.
 
  • #7
Well if I ask you what's the least energy required to create a fundamental particle of mass m,what would be ur answer? mc^2 or 2mc^2
 

1. What is a fundamental particle?

A fundamental particle, also known as an elementary particle, is a subatomic particle that cannot be broken down into smaller particles. It is the building block of matter and cannot be divided into smaller units.

2. How are fundamental particles created?

Fundamental particles are created through various processes, such as particle collisions in high-energy accelerators or during natural phenomena like radioactive decay. They can also be created through the annihilation of particles and antiparticles.

3. Can fundamental particles be destroyed?

According to the Law of Conservation of Mass and Energy, fundamental particles cannot be destroyed. They can only be transformed into other particles through processes like particle decay or annihilation.

4. What is the purpose of studying fundamental particles?

Studying fundamental particles allows us to better understand the fundamental laws of nature and the building blocks of the universe. It also has practical applications, such as in developing new technologies and medical treatments.

5. How many fundamental particles are there?

As of now, there are 17 known fundamental particles, which are categorized into two groups: fermions and bosons. However, scientists continue to search for new particles and their properties to further our understanding of the universe.

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