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Particle Physics
Learn the terminology
27
Physics
Not Applicable
08/30/2005

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Term
What is a baryon?
Definition
A baryon is a hadron composed of three quarks.

The proton and the neutron are examples of baryons.

Term
What is a meson?
Definition
A meson is a hadron composed of one quark and one anti-quark.

The pion and the kaon are examples of mesons.

Term
What is a hadron?
Definition
A 'heavy' particle that is composed of quarks.
Term
Which meson that you have to know about contains a strange quark or or strange antiquark?
Definition
The kaon.
Term
What is the quark composition of the proton? (work it out from your data sheet!)
Definition
uud
Term
What is the quark composition of the neutron? (work it out from your data sheet!)
Definition
udd
Term
What is the quark composition of the positive kaon? (work it out from your data sheet!)
Definition
up and anti-strange
Term
What is the quark composition of the positive pion? (work it out from your data sheet!)
Definition
up and anti-down
Term
What is the quark composition of the negative pion? (work it out from your data sheet!)
Definition
down and anti-up
Term
What is the quark composition of the negative kaon? (work it out from your data sheet!)
Definition
strange and anti-up
Term
What particle is made up of a strange quark and an anti-down quark?
Definition
It is a quark and anti-quark so it is a meson.

It has a strange quark so it cannot be a pion.

A neutral kaon.

Term
What is a lepton?
Definition
A 'light (not heavy!)' particle.
Term
List the leptons we have to study in AQA physics A level.
Definition
electron

positron

muon

anti-muon

neutrino

antineutrino

Term
What is the baryon number of a baryon?
Definition
1
Term
What is the baryon number of an anti-baryon?
Definition
-1
Term
What is the lepton number of a lepton?
Definition
1
Term
What is the lepton number of an anti-lepton?
Definition
-1
Term
What is the anti-particle of the electron called?
Definition
The positron
Term
What is the difference between a matter and anti-matter particle?
Definition
Antimatter particles of the same mass as their matter particles but opposite in charge.
Term
What happens when a particle meets its anti-particle?
Definition
They annihilate each other and two identical gamma rays of energy are created as the mass changes to energy. These propagate in opposite directions from the point of annihilation.

You can calculate the energy of the gamma rays by using E=mc2

Term
What is a muon?
Definition
A muon is a lepton.

It is basically a 'heavy' electron - it has a mass of about 200 times that of an electron and a negative charge.... but it only has a short lifetime (a mean lifetime of 2.2 × 10-6 seconds).

Term
How does a muonic atom (one that replaces electrons with muons?) differ from one with electrons in orbit?
Definition
1. Heavier - but very slightly - electron mass is not significant to the mass of an atom!

2. Smaller - because, in order to conserve angular momentum, the more massive muon must be closer to the atomic nucleus than its less massive electron counterpart.

Term
How is a muon formed?
Definition
Muons are produced by the weak decay of pions into a muon and a muon antineutrino.
Term
What does a muon decay into?
Definition
An electron, an electron-antineutrino, and a muon-neutrino.

[image]

Term
What does a pion decay into?
Definition
- negatively charged ones into a muon and a muon antineutrino

- positively charged ones into an anti-muon and a muon neutrino

- the uncharged pion decays to an electron, positron, and a gamma ray

Term
What does the gluon do?
Definition
It is the exchange particle for the strong nuclear force.
Term
What is a kaon?
Definition
A strange unstable meson

It consists of an electrically charged form with a mass 966 times that of an electron or a neutral form with a mass 974 times that of an electron.

It is produced as a result of a high-energy particle collision.

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