Tagged Questions

2
votes
1answer
59 views

Anti-symmetric 2 particle wave function

Suppose we want to construct a wave function for 2 free (relativistic) fermions. As we are dealing with fermions the total wave function has to be antisymmetric under interchange of the coordinates, ...
0
votes
1answer
100 views

can be exist the negative mass? [duplicate]

I'm not sure about this but I guess there must be negative masses in the universe because of the symmetry. If the gravity is one of the main forces in nature it must has negatives mass to be able to ...
7
votes
0answers
104 views

Status of experimental searches for tachyons?

Now that the dust has settled on the 2011 superluminal neutrino debacle at OPERA, I'm interested in understanding the current status of experimental searches for neutrinos. Although the OPERA claim ...
1
vote
2answers
88 views

What is the process that gives mass to free relativitic particles?

When a free particle move in space with a known momentum and energy then what is the physical process that gives mass to that free (relativistic) particle? What is role does the Higgs field in that ...
2
votes
1answer
105 views

Proton-proton collisions

I have a question about proton-proton collisions at the LHC. Firstly, the 4-momentum $p^\mu=(E/c,\vec{p})$ can be represented as $p^\mu =(m_T \cosh \Psi, p_T \cos \phi , p_T \sin \phi, m_T c \sinh ...
0
votes
2answers
56 views

Minimum $E$ of $p\bar{p}$-collision for $q\bar{q}$ pair with mass $m_q$

I am currently working out the energy required to create a particle anti-particle pair from a collision of a proton travelling along the x-direction with an anti-proton which is at rest. The particle ...
7
votes
1answer
259 views

What if the binding energy becomes larger than the rest mass?

Looking at the equation for binding energy and mass defect, $$ B = m_{\text{free}} - m_{\text{bound}} \\ \Rightarrow m_{\text{bound}} = m_{\text{free}} - B, $$ my question is the following. Suppose ...
0
votes
0answers
38 views

How to calculate the scatterng angle of a particle collision [closed]

z0 decays to electron + positron pair as below. The momentum of z0 is 150 Gev/c and its mass is 90 Gev. Find the scattering angle of the electron
3
votes
1answer
59 views

Single electron non-perturbing detector

I am designing an experiment where I need to trigger the release of an electron by a radioactive source (Sr-90). The easy way to do it is to use a thin scintillator right after the source collimator. ...
1
vote
1answer
50 views

Testing covariance of an expression?

This is something I've been unsure of for a while but still don't quite get. How does one tell whether an expression (e.g. the Dirac equation) is covariant or not? I get it for a single tensor, but ...
0
votes
0answers
143 views

Newton Gravitational constant $G$, Plank constant $\hbar$ , Speed of Light $c$ : The Dream Team of moderators?

The 3 great constants of Nature are well known : The Speed of light $c$ (special relativity) The Plank constant $\hbar$ (quantum mechanics) The Newton ...
1
vote
1answer
138 views

How do particle scattering cross sections scale with energy in colliders?

How do particle scattering cross sections scale with energy in colliders? Particularly photons, electrons, protons, and gold or lead nucleii? (If necessary, break this into four separate questions.) ...
2
votes
2answers
220 views

Calculate relativistic boost to COM frame from two arbitary velocities?

Looking in Goldstein's book, there doesn't seem to be a standard formula to calculate the COM frame velocity for two particles, from their relativistic velocities in the lab frame, although it is done ...
1
vote
3answers
283 views

What is the reason behind specific values for charge of electrons, protons?

Why do things like protons and neutrons have specific values. Also speed of light is a speed in which even if you go towards it, the speed does not vary. But why does light have to travel at speed?
1
vote
1answer
290 views

How are fundamental forces transmitted?

How are the fundamental forces transmitted? In particular I wonder, are all "processes" local, i.e. without superluminal distant interactions? But if they are local, then particles would have to ...
0
votes
0answers
38 views

Why has the ether been disregarded as a valid medium through which light can propagate? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: Ether theory acceptance Although the Einstein's theory of relativity seemed to make the concept of an ether obsolete, did it necessarily invalidate it? Are there any ...
2
votes
1answer
130 views

Kinetic energy transfer in matter annihilation?

What happens to the kinetic energy of matter when it is annihilated? Is it released in the resultant explosion? In that case shouldn't it be $E=(mc^2 + \frac{1}{2} mv^2)$ ?
3
votes
1answer
275 views

The Particle-Antiparticle Problem in Relation to Special Relativity

Prelude: Let’s consider a pair of events $A(t_1,x_1)$ and $B(t_2,x_2)$,having a spacelike separation wrt an inertial frame denoted by K.In the frame K’ moving along the positive x-x’ direction with a ...
2
votes
1answer
272 views

Do the particles that were found to break the speed of light really break Einstein's theory of relativity? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: What would be the effects on theoretical physics if neutrinos go faster than light? Update: Loose cable caused faulty results Apparently, researchers at CERN have found ...
15
votes
2answers
1k views

What happened to the idea of tachyonic or other superluminal neutrinos?

While hunting around for information about the recent OPERA measurement that hints at superluminal neutrinos, I discovered that this idea was actually considered back in the 1980s. Wikipedia lists as ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views

Why is pseudorapidity defined as $-\log \tan \theta/2$

Why the log? Is it there to make the growth of the function slower? As this is a common experimental observable, it doesn't seem reasonable to take the range from $[0,\infty)$ to $(-\infty,\infty)$ ...
10
votes
9answers
3k views

Accelerating particles to speeds infinitesimally close to the speed of light?

I'm in a freshmen level physics class now, so I don't know much, but something I heard today intrigued me. My TA was talking about how at the research facility he worked at, they were able to ...
1
vote
1answer
763 views

Relativistic speed/energy relation. Is this correct?

The relativistic energy-momentum equation is: $$E^2 = (pc)^2 + (mc^2)^2.$$ Also, we have $pc = Ev/c$, so we get: $$E = mc^2/(1-v^2/c^2)^{1/2}.$$ Now, accelerating a proton to near the speed if ...