Is Charge Conserved in Proton-Helium Collision Reactions?

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In proton-helium collision reactions, charge conservation is a fundamental principle, meaning the total charge before and after the reaction must remain the same. The discussion clarifies that the final particles must include two protons, one anti-proton, and the helium nucleus to maintain charge and baryon number conservation. The minimum lab kinetic energy required to produce an anti-proton is related to the energy needed for particle-antiparticle production, which is calculated as 2mc^2. Misunderstandings about charge conservation in such reactions are addressed, emphasizing that charge cannot be violated. Overall, the conservation laws dictate the outcomes of these particle interactions.
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Homework Statement


The problem is:
A proton collides with a Helium nucleus. What is the minimum lab kinetic energy needed to produce an anti-proton?


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I suppose that helium nucleus is at rest in the lab frame.
I'm wondering about the final particles of this reaction.
Originally, I guess the result is a proton, an anti-proton and the helium nucleus, but in this way, the charge is not conserved. So I guess the final particles are two protons , an anti-proton and helium nucleus, but my friend told me that the standard answer in the text is that the final state is with one proton, one anti-proton and one helium nucleus.
So, the charge can be not conserved in a reaction?
(This means that the interaction is not electromagnetic?)

Thanks for all ideas.
 
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Charge is certainly conserved and your friend is wrong. Your guess is correct. Notice you also need to conserve baryon number. Producing a proton, anti-proton pair is really your only choice.
 
Yeah, the energy for particle-antiparticle production is always 2mc^2, where m is the mass of one of the particles.
 
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