Particle-Antiparticle Pairs: When High Energy Photons Split

[kashiark]

when do high energy photons become a paritcle/antiparticle pair?

 

[malawi_glenn]

it can become when its energy is above twice the particle mass.

e.g. pair production of electron + positron is possible when the photon has energy above 2*m_e = 1022keV

 

[mathman]

it can become when its energy is above twice the particle mass.

e.g. pair production of electron + positron is possible when the photon has energy above 2*m_e = 1022keV

Your description is somewhat incomplete. In order for pair production to take place the photon has to interact with a nucleus so that momentum conservation will hold. Alternatively if two photons collide (such as just after the big bang) pair production will also be possible.

 

[Bob S]

Pair production requires BOTH the photon energy exceeding 1.02 MeV, AND something momentum can be transferred to, like a nucleus. The cross section is proportional to Z² Ln(E) from 3 MeV to over 1 GeV. (E = hv)

 

[kashiark]

why can't the momentum be transferred to to the particle/antiparticle pair? and what is it transferred to when they collide?

 

[malawi_glenn]

why can't the momentum be transferred to to the particle/antiparticle pair? and what is it transferred to when they collide?

photon -> e+ e- violates momentum conservation, as mathman told you.

The photon must 'interact' with a nucleus or other heavy, electrically charged particle, to make pair production possible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pair_production

here is feynman diagram (the process to the left)

http://musr.physics.ubc.ca/~jess/p200/emc2/img48.gif

 

[kashiark]

what about the photons colliding after the big bang?

 

[malawi_glenn]

they can 'collide' with each other, as mathman told you also. Don't you read the answers you've got?

 

[kashiark]

"Alternatively if two photons collide (such as just after the big bang) pair production will also be possible."
"The photon must 'interact' with a nucleus or other heavy, electrically charged particle, to make pair production possible."
they seem to contradict each other don't they? i was asking about the physics of the first and i would appreciate it if you would not insult me

 

[malawi_glenn]

because in post #5 you are referring to post #4 where the "pair production in matter" was discussed by Bob_S.

 

[kashiark]

i don't understand if they can conserve momentum by colliding why can't they conserve it otherwise without a nucleus?

 

[blechman]

you cannot have a massless thing split to two massive things and still conserve momentum. just work it out.

you CAN, on the other hand, have two (massless or massive) things go to two massive things and conserve momentum and energy.

so as to the DIFFERENT processes that you are referring to:

1. photon -> e+ e- : that violates momentum conservation.

2. photon + Nucleus -> e+ e- + nucleus: that is allowed by momentum conservation (think of the nucleus as a "catalyst" that allows the process to occur).

3. photon + photon -> e+ e- : that is also allowed by momentum conservation.

mometum conservation is nothing deep: it's straight out of first-year physics.

 

[kashiark]

ah ok i get it thanks everyone