Relative Angular Momentum in 2 Body Decay at Detector Level

[Naeem Anwar]

How the relative angular momentum of two particles can be detect by detector in two particle decay (center of mass frame)? I am curious about the signatures/differentiation between different relative momenta, means how one can decide that it is L=0, L=1,2,3,...?

Of course the distribution would be different, but what kind of difference exist exactly? Looking for some pictorial spirit to understand the difference.

Thanks!

 

[ChrisVer]

I think it has to do with the spherical harmonics functions Y^m_{l}.
There will be some particular dependence on the \theta coordinate and this will help you find the L.
http://www.trinnov.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/sphericalHarm.jpg

For example an L=0 particle will be independent from \theta= - \pi to \pi (or \cos \theta \in [-1,1].
An L=1 will have some particular dependence on theta..

I don't know maybe there are other more effective ways to do that in a detector.

 

[Naeem Anwar]

Ok got it. Thanks!

But in theoretical calculation I am not clear what is the major difference I should have to keep in mind in calculating these partial decay widths. I know in the final result there must be projection on some Y^m_{l} but I am not able to get the difference from start. Do you have any idea?