When the mass histogram is plotted in particle physics, we see a resonance on top of a decaying exponential background. Why is the background modeled to be that way? What is the physical explanation?
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3$\begingroup$ Does this answer your question? Why, in particle physcis experiments, the background is sometimes a decaying exponential? $\endgroup$– Ruggero TurraCommented May 15 at 21:47
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$\begingroup$ duplicate: physics.stackexchange.com/q/163414 $\endgroup$– Ruggero TurraCommented May 15 at 21:47
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Decaying exponentials are the result of there being a fixed probability of any specific member of a population being removed. Once removed, the population decreases and so the rate of decay also decreases. The rate of decay is therefore associated with a particular time scale related to the change in population. The same model works if the population is growing - it still leads to an exponential, just one that's growing.
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$\begingroup$ This is an answer to a different question. OP is asking about the shape of combinatoric background in invariant mass spectra. $\endgroup$– dukwonCommented Jul 15, 2015 at 7:41