The speed of the electron and the positron is 1.94 108 m s1.
(ii) We have already calculated that the energy equivalency of the total mass of the electron and positron is 1.6374 1013 J. Each photon contains half that amount of energy. Therefore each photon has an energy of 8.18699 1014 J.
The frequency of the photon is calculated using the formula: E hf 8.18699 1014 (6.6 1034) f f 1.24 1020 Hz The frequency of each proton produced is 1.24 1020 Hz.
EXERCISE 23.2 PAIR PRODUCTION AND ANNIHILATION
(Charge on an electron 1.6022 1019 C; mass of electron 9.1094 1031 kg; mass of proton 1.6726 1027 kg; speed of light 2.9979 108 m s1; Plank’s constant is 6.6 1034 J s.) Q1 Calculate the total kinetic energy of an electron and positron that is produced by a 1.4 MeV -photon. Q2 In pair production a -photon of frequency 2.5 1020 Hz produces an electron and positron. Calculate: (i) the energy of the -photon (iii) the speed of the electron.
(ii) the kinetic energy of each particle produced
Q3 When an antiproton collides with a proton, pair annihilation takes place and two photons are produced. Calculate the frequency of the photons produced.You may assume the particles are at rest prior to annihilation.
Q4 In a circular accelerator, two protons, each with a kinetic energy of 1.2 GeV, travelling in opposite directions, collide. A proton and antiproton are produced by the collision. Calculate the combined kinetic energy of the four particles after the collision.