Does radioactive decay slow in a particle accelerator

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the effects of speed on radioactive decay, particularly in the context of particle accelerators and natural phenomena. Participants explore concepts such as time dilation and the lifetimes of particles at high speeds, referencing both experimental evidence and theoretical implications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires whether radioactive decay has been observed to slow in particle accelerators, expressing a lack of prior knowledge on the topic.
  • Another participant suggests that the lifespan of particles created in collisions is likely taken into account, but they do not provide specific references.
  • It is noted that experiments like the CERN and Brookhaven muon g-2 involve high-speed muons, with a time dilation factor of around 30.
  • A participant recalls an experiment from their graduate school days involving sigma and xi hyperons at Fermilab, emphasizing that time dilation allowed these particles to reach detectors.
  • There is a question about whether evidence of time dilation exists as particles approach the speed of light, with a participant mentioning muons produced by cosmic rays as an example.
  • Participants reference a link to HyperPhysics that describes natural particle accelerators, though there is some repetition in the responses regarding this resource.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that time dilation is a relevant factor in the discussion of particle lifetimes at high speeds, but there is no consensus on the specifics of radioactive decay behavior in particle accelerators or the definition of natural accelerators.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the availability of quick references to support their claims, and there are unresolved questions regarding the nature of natural accelerators and the evidence for time dilation effects.

nonphysicsman
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I am a non physicist-scientist, but landed here searching the internet for this answer. Has it ever been done? Thank you for any answers.
 
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The CERN and Brookhaven muon g-2 experiments have high speed muons in a storage ring. The time dilation factor is around 30.
 
russ_watters said:
Welcome to PF!

I would assume it is taken into account, with the lifespan of particles created in the collisions, but I couldn't find any quick references. But how about a natural particle accelerator?
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/relativ/muon.html
russ_watters said:
Welcome to PF!

I would assume it is taken into account, with the lifespan of particles created in the collisions, but I couldn't find any quick references. But how about a natural particle accelerator?
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/relativ/muon.html
 
When I was in graduate school 35 years ago, one of my friends worked on an experiment involving beams of sigma and xi hyperons at Fermilab. Without the time dilation of their lifetimes, the hyperons would not have been able to travel from the production target to the detector.
 
Thank you for the response. I'm trying to find out if there has been evidence of time slowing or accelerating as particles approach the speed of light. What would be a natural accelerator?
 
jtbell said:
When I was in graduate school 35 years ago, one of my friends worked on an experiment involving beams of sigma and xi hyperons at Fermilab. Without the time dilation of their lifetimes, the hyperons would not have been able to travel from the production target to the detector.
Thank you. Is this considered evidence of time dilation?
 
nonphysicsman said:
Thank you. Is this considered evidence of time dilation?

Absolutely.
 
nonphysicsman said:
What would be a natural accelerator?
Did you reat the link? It's pretty descriptive, yet succinct.
 
  • #10
nonphysicsman said:
Thank you for the response. I'm trying to find out if there has been evidence of time slowing or accelerating as particles approach the speed of light. What would be a natural accelerator?
Muons produced by cosmic rays demonstrate this effect.
 
  • #11
nonphysicsman said:
What would be a natural accelerator?
That hyper physics link that Russ W gave you tells you all about it. It's a 'natural' event.
 

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