Particle interact with antiparticle

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In summary: However, if you throw enough marbles, some will chip and eventually all the marbles will be smashed. In the same way, particles that are made of quarks will occasionally interact and create new particles. These new particles are usually lighter than the original particles, because quarks are heavy. However, it's possible for two quarks to merge and create a heavier particle.
  • #1
jaysonxng
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A particle meet its own antiparticle will annihilate and convert mass into energy. But what happen if a particle meets a antiparticle but not its own . For example, proton collided with anti neutron, etc..
 
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  • #2
Hello Jay, and welcome to PF, where you posted in the homework area. This doesn't look like homework at all (If I am wrong, correct me and use the template provided under the "new thread" button).

Your question is difficult to answer at a suitable level, because I don't know what that level should be.

Basically, all kinds of things can happen if particles "meet". Especially if they "meet" with a lot of violence, as in head-to-head collisions at speeds close to the speed of light. In such collisions, high energy physicists study what are conserved quantities. Total energy (using E = mc2) and momentum are only a few. A lot of others fall under the common denominator "quantum numbers".

Point is that with enough energy, you can make almost anything -- in partice - antiparticle pairs. They can exchange constituents, or decay into other (lighter) stuff, etc.

Surf around in partice physics a little bit and welcome to this wonderful world!
 
  • #3
They will interact in the same way every particle interacts with other particles, but they will not annihilate (at least not in low energies). At higher energies, the quark constituents will interact among themselves and annihilations are still possible (but that's because of your example).
Eg an electron with another antilepton, for example amtimuon, being fundamental (so far) will not be annihilated.
 
  • #4
Hello again. Things get murky if we don't agree on a suitable level. Are we talking Dan Brown here or are we in the realm of physics?

In the link I gave you you can find that a proton consists of three quarks (designated up, up and down for historical reasons. Not because they are oriented that way or anything; purely abstract. Short form: ##uud##). Neutron is ##udd## so antineutron is ##\bar u \bar d \bar d##. The bar denoting anti- . These guys "meet" and ##u\bar u## and ##d\bar d## are anihilation candidates; who knows you end up with ##u\bar d##, a light particle called ##\pi^+## and a lot of energy left over for the kinetic energy with which it flies off all on its own ? Can't be because that does not conserve momentum, so some more stuff has to fly the other way. Gets complicated rapidly. See also this thread

This is what Chris alludes to when he says "quark constituents will interact among themselves". It's like throwing two handsful of marbles at each other: some marbles might collide and may chip, but most go through unscathed.
 
  • #5


When a particle interacts with its own antiparticle, they will annihilate each other and release energy in the form of photons. This phenomenon is known as particle-antiparticle annihilation. However, when a particle meets an antiparticle that is not its own, the result will depend on the specific particles involved.

In the example given, a proton colliding with an anti-neutron would result in the two particles combining to form a neutral pion and releasing energy in the process. This is due to the fact that a proton and anti-neutron have opposite electric charges, but the same baryon number (the number of quarks in a particle). The combination of the two particles results in a neutral particle with a lower mass, and the excess mass is converted into energy according to Einstein's famous equation, E=mc^2.

In general, when a particle meets an antiparticle that is not its own, the result will depend on the specific properties of the particles involved, such as their electric charge, baryon number, and spin. Regardless of the outcome, the interaction between particles and antiparticles always results in the conversion of mass into energy, following the principles of conservation of energy and mass. This phenomenon plays a crucial role in the understanding of particle physics and the behavior of the universe at a fundamental level.
 

1. What is a particle?

A particle is a small unit of matter that cannot be divided any further. It is the building block of everything in the universe, including atoms and subatomic particles.

2. What is an antiparticle?

An antiparticle is the opposite of a particle, with the same mass but opposite charge. For example, the antiparticle of an electron is a positron.

3. How do particles interact with antiparticles?

Particles and antiparticles can interact with each other through the process of annihilation, where they collide and their mass is converted into energy in the form of photons. They can also interact through the weak nuclear force and the strong nuclear force.

4. What happens when a particle and antiparticle meet?

When a particle and antiparticle meet, they annihilate each other and produce energy in the form of photons. This process is reversible, meaning that energy can also create a particle and antiparticle pair.

5. Can particles and antiparticles coexist?

Yes, particles and antiparticles can coexist in the universe as long as they do not come into contact with each other. In fact, the universe is thought to contain equal amounts of particles and antiparticles, but they are mostly separated and do not interact.

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