Particle Physics - decay of a neutral pion

In summary, the minimum energy for a photon from the decay of a neutral pion with a momentum of 10 GeV/c is 5,068 MeV and the maximum energy can be determined by considering the direction of the photon in the pion's rest frame.
  • #1
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Particle Physics -- decay of a neutral pion

Homework Statement



Consider the decay of a neutral pion that has a momentum of 10 GeV/c into two photons. What is the minimum energy that a photon from this decay can have? In terms of the pion mass and pion momentum. What about Maximum Energy too?

Homework Equations



E^2= p^2 c^2 + m^2 c^4
and Rest energy of neutral pion is 135 MeV/c2


The Attempt at a Solution



Think it would start out as energy conservation like
E(before)= E(after)
E(pion)= E(photon) + E(photon)
γmpionc^2= 2Ephoton
10,135 MeV= 2Ephoton
5,068 MeV= Ephoton
 
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  • #2
You're assuming the energy is split evenly between the two photons, but that's not generally the case in the lab frame.

Try considering what happens in the pion's rest frame. In what direction does a photon have to move so that it will have the most energy in the lab frame?
 

1. What is a neutral pion?

A neutral pion is a subatomic particle that belongs to the meson family. It is composed of a quark and an antiquark, and has a spin of 0. It is electrically neutral, hence the name "neutral pion".

2. How does a neutral pion decay?

A neutral pion decays through the strong nuclear force into two photons, which are particles of light. This decay process is known as electromagnetic decay or radiative decay.

3. What is the half-life of a neutral pion?

The half-life of a neutral pion is incredibly short, at around 8.4 x 10^-17 seconds. This means that in less than a billionth of a trillionth of a second, half of the neutral pions in a sample will have decayed.

4. What is the significance of studying the decay of neutral pions?

The study of the decay of neutral pions can provide insight into the strong nuclear force and the fundamental interactions between subatomic particles. It also has applications in fields such as nuclear energy and medical imaging.

5. Can neutral pions be created artificially?

Yes, neutral pions can be created artificially through high-energy collisions between particles. This is often done in particle accelerators, such as the Large Hadron Collider, to study their properties and behavior.

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