Chapter 46

Particle Physics and Cosmology

Multiple Choice

1. An electron and a positron (antielectron) both nearly at rest collide. What particle(s) is
(are) produced?

a. One photon of energy 1.02 MeV

b. Two photons of energy 511 keV
c. A pi-meson
d. A K-meson and an anti-neutrino

2. A proton and an antiproton each with total energy of 400 GeV collide head-on. What is
the total energy (particles + energy) released?

a. zero
b. 400 Gev
c. 800 GeV
d. 1600 GeV
e. 2400 GeV

3. Which of the following particle reactions cannot occur?

–
a. p + p →+ p + p + p + p
–
b. p + p → 2γ
c. π+ + p → K+ + ∑+
d. γ + p → n + π0

4. Which of the following reactions cannot occur?

–
a . n → p + e– + νe
–
b. p + n → p + p + p
–
c. µ– → e– + νe + νµ
d. π– → µ– + νµ

5. The minimum γ-ray energy needed to produce a positron is

a. 3 MeV
b. 2 MeV
c. 1 MeV
d. 4 MeV
e. 0.51 MeV

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2 Chapter 46

6. All particles can be classified into

a. Leptons and quarks

b. Hadrons and leptons
c. Baryons and leptons
d. Mesons and Baryons

7. Particles composed of quarks are

a. photons
b. leptons
c. baryons
d. hadrons
e. baryons and hadrons.

8. The law of conservation of baryon number is that

a. the total number of baryons and leptons is conserved

b. the total number of baryons is conserved
c. the (number of baryons) - (number of antibaryons) is conserved.
d. the total number of quarks is conserved

9. Which of the following reactions violates conservation of strangeness?

a . Ω – → 3γ
– –
b. p + p → Λ° + Λ0
– –
c. n → e+ + p + ν0
d. e+ + e– → 2γ
–
e. p + π – → K° + Λ°

10. Which of the following decays violates conservation of lepton number?

–
a . µ – → e– + ν e
–
b. π+ → µ+ + νµ
–
c. K+ → µ+ + νµ
–
d. n → p + e– + νe
–
e. ν e + p → n + e+

11. The following reaction can occur by the strong interaction: π° + n → K+ + ∑–. If the quark
– –
composition of the n is (udd), the π° is (uu ), and the composition of the K+ is (us ), find the
quark composition of the ∑–.

a . sss
b. uds
c. dds
–
d. dds
–
e. u s

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 Chapter 46 3

12. According to the Hubble law, where H = 17 km/s/106 lightyears, what is the velocity of
recession of a quasar at 2 billion lightyears from Earth?

a. 0.75 c
b. 0.33 c
c. 0.55 c
d. 0.11 c
e. 0.93 c

13. Spectrographic analysis of light from a distant galaxy shows that the galaxy is receding
from Earth at v = .384 c. Use Hubble's law with H = 17 km/s/106 lightyears to estimate
the distance to the galaxy.

a. 3.3 × 108 lightyears

b. 6.7 × 109 lightyears
c. 9.9 × 108 lightyears
d. 2.2 × 109 lightyears
e. 6.5 × 106 lightyears

14. The strong nuclear interaction has a range of approximately 1.4 × 10–15 m. It is thought
that an elementary particle is exchanged between the protons and neutrons, leading to an
attractive force. Utilize the uncertainty principle ∆E∆t = h to estimate the mass of the
elementary particle if it moves at nearly the speed of light.

a. 140 MeV/c2, a pion

b. 511 keV/c2, an electron
c. 96 GeV/c2, a Z boson
d. 500 MeV/c2, a K meson
e. 106 MeV/c2, a muon

15. The rest-energy of the Z0 boson is 96 GeV. Using this information, find the maximum
length of time a virtual Z0 can exist, in accordance with the uncertainty principle
∆E∆t = h. (1 eV = 1.6 × 10–19 J)

a. 6.9 × 10–27 s
b. 7.5 × 10–30 s
c. 2.4 × 10–24 s
d. 1.9 × 10–21 s
e. 6.3 × 10–5 s

16. If a K° meson at rest decays in 0.9 × 10–10 s, how far will a K° meson moving at 0.96 c travel
through a bubble chamber?

a. 17 cm
b. 1.1 cm
c. 53 cm
d. 42 mm
e. 9.3 cm

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4 Chapter 46

17. The omega-minus particle decays Ω– → X0 + π– with the X0 and the π– eventually
decaying into stable baryon(s) and lepton(s). Utilizing conservation laws, which of the
following is the correct accounting of the decay products?

– –
a . Ω– → p + 4γ + 2e– + 2νe + νµ + νµ
–
b. Ω– → p + µ– + νµ + 2γ + e–
– –
c. Ω– → 2e– + 2νe + 4γ + ν+ + νµ
– –
d. Ω– → p + 4γ + e– + 2νe + νµ + νµ

18. Which of the following is not true of neutrinos?

a. chargeless
b. spinless
c. massless
d. lepton
e. charmless

19. The attractive force between protons and neutrons in the nucleus is brought about by the
exchange of a virtual pi-meson (mπ = 140 MeV/c2). Estimate the longest time a virtual π0
can exist, in accordance with the uncertainty principle ∆E∆t = h (1 eV = 1.6 × 10–19 J).

a. 4.7 × 10–24 s
b. 6.9 × 10–27 s
c. 3.3 × 10–18 s
d. 2.4 × 10–21 s
e. 1.6 × 10–19 s

Conceptual Problems

20. A photon with an energy of Eγ = 2.09 GeV creates a proton-antiproton pair in which the
proton has a kinetic energy of 95 MeV. What is the kinetic energy of the antiproton?
(mpc2 = 938.3 MeV)

21. Name at least one conservation law that prevents each of the following reactions:
a ) π – + p → +∑+ + π°
b) p → π+ + π+ + π–

22. Calculate the range of the force that might be produced by the virtual exchange of a
proton. (mp = 1.67 × 10–27 kg, h = 6.626 × 10–34 J-s)

23. A K° particle at rest decays into a π+ and a π–. What will be the speed of each of the
pions? The mass of the K° is 497.7 MeV/c2 and the mass of each π is 139.6 MeV/c2.

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 Chapter 46 5

24. When a baryon or lepton not the same as the original projectile particle or its target
particle is created from the kinetic energy the projectile brings into a collision

a . both the particle and its antiparticle must be created.

b. the incoming particle must have sufficient energy to create both the particle and its
antiparticle.
c. energy and momentum must be conserved in the collision.
d. all of the above must hold.
e. all of the above hold only if the particle and antiparticle being created have
different masses.

25. A model for how repulsive forces between two particles can be mediated by a third
particle would be

a. A person on a skateboard pushing against a wall.

b. two people in two canoes throwing a ball back and forth.
c. two people in two canoes each pulling on one end of a rope.
d. two people in two skateboards giving each other a shove.
e. two people in two skateboards each pulling on one end of a rope.

26. In this course we have seen that baryons have inertial and gravitational mass, intrinsic
angular momentum, and other internal properties that have been given names like baryon
number, strangeness, charm, etc. The Standard Model's explanation for these properties
of baryons is that

a . the baryons are states of something more elementary that can exist in multiple
quantum states.
b. the leptons are states of something more elementary that can exist in multiple
quantum states.
c. photons are states of something more elementary that can exist in multiple quantum
states.
d. according to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle quantum numbers are
indeterminate.

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

6 Chapter 46

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.

 Chapter 46 1

Chapter 46

Particle Physics and Cosmology

1. Answer: b

2. Answer: c

3. Answer: d

4. Answer: b

5. Answer: c

6. Answer: b

7. Answer: e

8. Answer: c

9. Answer: a

10. Answer: a

11. Answer: c

12. Answer: d

13. Answer: b

14. Answer: a

15. Answer: a

16. Answer: e

17. Answer: a

18. Answer: b

19. Answer: a

20. Answer: 118.4 MeV

21. Answer: a) charge, b) baryon number

22. Answer: 2.0 × 10–16 m

23. Answer: 0.83 c

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2 Chapter 46

24. Answer: d

25. Answer: b

26. Answer: a

© 2000 by Harcourt College Publishers. All rights reserved.