SUMMARY
When a proton and antiproton at rest annihilate, they produce two photons. The energy conservation principle and the de Broglie relation between energy and wavelength are essential for calculating the wavelengths of these photons. While the annihilation primarily results in photon production, other reaction products such as pions and electron-positron pairs can also occur due to the available energy. The misconception that annihilation exclusively produces photons arises from the limited pathways available for slow electron-positron pairs.
PREREQUISITES
- Understanding of energy conservation principles in particle physics
- Familiarity with the de Broglie relation between energy and wavelength
- Knowledge of particle-antiparticle interactions
- Basic concepts of quantum mechanics and annihilation processes
NEXT STEPS
- Research the calculations for photon wavelengths in proton-antiproton annihilation
- Explore the various reaction products from particle-antiparticle annihilation
- Study the principles of quantum electrodynamics (QED) related to annihilation
- Investigate experimental evidence of rare annihilation pathways, such as neutrino-antineutrino pairs
USEFUL FOR
Physicists, students of particle physics, and anyone interested in the fundamental interactions of matter and antimatter.