Announcements

For the lab this week, you will have 2 lab session to complete it. They will be collected after week 1 and redistributed the following week. Pick up HW assignments: Due next Wednesday. Read page 7-13 in Schwarz. Do exercises 1-6. In http://particleadventure.org/particleadventure/frameless/startstandard.html read through the Section Particle Decays and Annihilations Slides a-h (see slide key on Course Assignments Web page)

Conservation Laws

Conservation Laws
Conservation laws in Physics can give explanations as to why some things occur and other do not. Three very important Conservation Laws are: I. II. III. Conservation of Energy Conservation of Momentum Conservation of Charge

Energy Conservation (I)

There are many forms of energy. For now, well focus on two types 1. Kinetic Energy (KE) Energy of motion KE = mv2 if v is much less than c (v << c) 2. Mass Energy
m = mass c = speed of light = 3x108 [m/sec]

E = mc2
That is, mass is a form of energy, and the conversion is to just multiply the mass by a constant number (the speed of light squared)!

Conservation of Energy (II)

D Total Energy (initially) = ED = mDc2

Suppose D decays into 2 particles A and B, what is the energy of the system afterward? A B Total Energy (after decay) = EA + EB = (KEA+mAc2) + (KEB+mBc2)

vA

vB

Since energy must be conserved in the decay process, mDc2 = (KEA+mAc2) + (KEB+mBc2)

Conservation of Energy (III)

mDc2 = (KEA+mAc2) + (KEB+mBc2)
ED Before Decay EA After Decay EB

Important points here:

1) This equation DOES NOT say that kinetic energy is conserved

2) This equation DOES NOT say that mass is conserved

3) This equation states that the total energy is conserved

Total energy before decay = Total energy after decay

Conservation of Energy (IV)

mDc2 = (KEA+mAc2) + (KEB+mBc2)
KEA = mAvA2 >0 KEB = mBvB2 > 0

Since mA and mB must be larger than zero, and vA2>0 and vB2>0, the KE can only be positive (KE cannot be negative!) If I subtract off the KE terms from the RHS* of the top equation, I will no longer have an equality, but rather an inequality: mDc2 mAc2 + mBc2 and dividing both sides by c2,
This is also true if particle D has KE>0 also!

mD mA + mB

Conservation of Energy (V)

KEA MAc2 MDc2 LHS = RHS MB c2 KEB

MAc2 MDc2

MB c2

LHS > RHS

Energy Conservation (VI)

Consider some particle (call it D) at rest which has a mass of 0.5 kg D

Which of the following reactions do you think can/cannot occur? I A D B mB=0.1 kg mA=0.2 kg II
A mA=0.2 kg III mA=0.49 kg IV A B D B mB=0.4 kg

mB=0.0 kg mA=0.1 kg mB=0.1 kg

Energy Conservation (VII)

A particle (q) and an anti-particle (q) of equal mass each having 1 [TeV] of energy collide and produce two other particles t and t (of equal mass) as shown in Fig. A. (1 [TeV] = 1012 [eV])

Fig. A
t q
Bam

Energy Conservation (VIII)

What is the total energy in the collision ? A) 0 B) 2 [TeV] C) 1 [TeV] D) 0.5 [TeV]

What is total energy of the t and t (individually)? A) 0 B) 2 [TeV] C) 1 [TeV] D) 0.5 [TeV]

What can be said about the mass energy of the t particle ? A) Its equal to the mass of q B) It must be less than 0.5 TeV C) It must be less than 1 [TeV] D) Its equal but opposite in direction to that of the t particle

Momentum Conservation (I)

Momentum (p) = mass x velocity = mv

p = mv

Momentum has a direction, given by the direction of v

m1 v1 p1 = m1v1 v2 m2

p2 = -m2v2

Note that particles moving in opposite directions have momenta which are opposite sign!

Momentum Conservation: In any process, the value of the total momentum is conserved.

Momentum Conservation (II)

Consider a head-on collision of two particles

m1

v1

v2

m2

What is the total momentum before the collision ? A) m1v1+m2v2 B) m1v2-m2v1 C) zero D) (m1+m2)(v1+v2) If m1= m2, what can be said about the total momentum? A) its zero B) its positive C) its negative D) cant say? If m1= m2 and v1 > v2, what can be said about the total momentum? A) its zero B) its positive C) its negative D) cant say?

Momentum Conservation (III)

Consider a head-on collision of two particles m1 m2

v1

v2

If m1< m2 and v1 > v2, what can be said about the total momentum? A) its zero B) its positive C) its negative D) cant say?

If m1= m2 and v1 = v2 (in magnitude), what can be said about the total momentum? A) its zero B) its positive C) its negative D) cant say?
In this previous case, what can be said about the final velocities of particles 1 and 2 ? A) their zero B) equal and opposite C) both in the same direction D) cant say?

Momentum Conservation (IV)

Consider a particle D at rest which decays into two lighter particles A and B, whose combined mass is less than D.

I
vA

A mA

mB

vB

If mA > mB, answer the following questions: What can be said about the total momentum after the decay? A) Zero B) Equal and Opposite C) Equal D) Opposite, but not equal If mA= mB, what can be said about the magnitudes of the velocities of A and B? A) vA>vB B) Equal and Opposite C) vB>vA D) Same direction but different magnitudes

Momentum Conservation (V)

I vA A mA D

mB

vB

Which statement is most accurate about the momentum of A ? A) Zero B) Equal to B C) Equal and opposite to B D) Opposite, but not equal

Can mA+mB exceed mD ? A) Not enough data C) No

B) Yes, if vA and vB are zero D) Yes, if vA and vB are in opposite directions

Momentum Conservation (VI)

p mP n n e me Consider a neutron, n, which is at rest, and then decays. mp+me < mn

Can this process occur? a) No, momentum is not conserved b) Yes, since mn is larger than the sum of mP and me c) No, energy cannot be conserved d) Yes, but only between 8 pm and 4 am
The observation that momentum was not conserved in neutron decay lead to the profound hypothesis of the existence of a particle called the neutrino

neutron proton + electron + neutrino (n p + e + n)

When the neutrino is included, in fact momentum is conserved.

Discovery of the Neutrino

p mP n e me

The observation that momentum conservation appeared to be violated in neutron decay lead to the profound hypothesis of the existence of a particle called the neutrino neutron proton + electron + neutrino (n p + e + n) When the neutrino is included, in fact momentum is conserved.

Charge Conservation
The total electric charge of a system does not change. Consider the previous example of neutron decay: Charge n 0 p +1 + e -1 + n 0

Can these processes occur?

p + p
Charge +1 +1

p
+1

n
0 NO

p + e
Charge Charge +1 0 -1

n
0

+
+

n
0 YES NO

n + n
0

p
+1

p
+1

Summary of Conservation Laws

Total Energy of an isolated system is conserved D A+B cannot occur if mA+mB > mD Total momentum of an isolated system is conserved - missing momentum in neutron decay signaled the existence of a new undiscovered particle Total Charge of an isolated system is conserved - the sum of the charges before a process occurs must be the same as after the process We will encounter more conservation laws later which will help explain why some processes occur and others do not.