Momentum of a massless particle?

In summary, the problem involves calculating the momentum of an electron in MeV/c when a neutron decays at rest and produces a proton, electron, and anti-neutrino. The equations involved are the relativistic momentum equation and the equation for conservation of momentum and energy. The electron and anti-neutrino have unknown momenta, but the anti-neutrino is assumed to have zero mass. There is uncertainty in how to handle the case of a massless particle having momentum.
  • #1
phosgene
146
1

Homework Statement



Consider a neutron which decays at rest. Calculate the momentum of the electron in MeV/c when the proton is produced at rest. (You may assume that the anti-neutrino has zero mass).

Homework Equations



Relativistic momentum = [itex]\gamma(mv)[/itex]

The Attempt at a Solution



Since the neutron is at rest, it has zero momentum. So I'm guessing that the electron has an equal and opposite momentum to the anti-neutrino...but if it has zero mass, how do I work out the momentum? I've also tried playing around with the equation

[itex]E^2 = p^2c^2 + m^2c^4[/itex]

but I still get equations involving the mass, which just give me back zero momentum. I'm also assuming that the electron doesn't just have zero momentum, otherwise it seems like a silly question..
 
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  • #2
How many particles are the products of the decay? What laws of conservation hold during this decay? How many equations between how many unknowns does this give you?
 
  • #3
The products are a proton, an electron and an anti-neutrino, andI believe that conservation of energy and momentum laws hold during this process. The equations I get out of this are

momentum of neutron = 0 = total momenta of decay products

as the proton is at rest its momentum = zero

the electron's momentum = unknown

the anti-neutrino's momentum = unknown, but its mass is assumed to be zero.

This is the part where I get stuck. Combining the above equations, I get that the momentum of the electron should be equal and opposite to the momentum of the anti-neutrino..but I don't know how to proceed as I'm not sure how to handle the case where a massless particle has momentum.
 

1. What is the definition of momentum for a massless particle?

The definition of momentum for a massless particle is the product of its velocity and energy. Since it has no mass, its momentum is solely determined by its velocity.

2. How is momentum conserved for a massless particle?

Momentum is conserved for a massless particle in the same way as it is for a massive particle. The total momentum of the system remains constant as long as there are no external forces acting on the particles.

3. Can a massless particle have a non-zero momentum?

Yes, a massless particle can have a non-zero momentum due to its velocity. Even though it has no mass, its velocity can still change, resulting in a change in its momentum.

4. How does the momentum of a massless particle differ from that of a massive particle?

The main difference between the momentum of a massless particle and a massive particle is that the massless particle's momentum is solely determined by its velocity, while the momentum of a massive particle also depends on its mass.

5. What are some practical applications of studying the momentum of massless particles?

Studying the momentum of massless particles is crucial in understanding the behavior of light and other electromagnetic waves. It also has applications in fields such as astrophysics, where the momentum of massless particles like photons plays a significant role in the dynamics of celestial bodies.

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