Accelerating protons and antiprotons for pair production?

Tangeton
Messages
62
Reaction score
0
Okay so I have a problem with what my textbook is saying.

It defined pair production as a process in which a photon of electromagnetic energy is converted to a pair of particles.

But then it gave the discovery of an antiproton. Which was when a proton was accelerated to 6MeV and collided into a stationary proton, making one antiproton and 3 protons.

So, does this p + p --> p + p + antip process count as pair production? In which case, would the definition of pair production be a bit different?

Also, I found a website on which it says that ''sometimes, a pair of particles annihilates, but then the photon produces another pair of particles.'' When it comes the the first line, is this basically when a pair annihilates, but then the photon still has a lot of energy due to the extra kinetic energy of the particle and its antiparticle, meaning that when it passes close to a nucleus?

Edit: It also says that a antip + p = n + antin Is this besically an example of what I just wrote above (particles annihilate but then the photon produces another pair of particles)?

Sorry for lots of questions and thank you for your time.
 
on Phys.org
Tangeton said:
p + p --> p + p + antip

Does that conserve charge?
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Does that conserve charge?
oooo whoops it's p + p --> p + p + p + antip and well it doesn't look like it does conserve charge, but what has that got to do with anything? Says here it does happen so I am not trying to disprove it?
 
Last edited:
Tangeton said:
but what has that got to do with anything?

Charge is always conserved. If you write down a reaction that doesn't, it's wrong.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Charge is always conserved. If you write down a reaction that doesn't, it's wrong.

Well yes I know but charge is conserved here. I just wrote the wrong equation by accident.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
2K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
5K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
4K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K