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BobP
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If I produce an anti-particle (e.g: positron) in a reaction MUST I produce a non-anti particle too (e.g: neutrino)...is this a rule?
thanks
thanks
There are some basic rules to see if a reaction is allowed or not.BobP said:If I produce an anti-particle (e.g: positron) in a reaction MUST I produce a non-anti particle too (e.g: neutrino)...is this a rule?
thanks
Thank you. very detailed answer. very gratefulGarlic said:There are some basic rules to see if a reaction is allowed or not.
1] The total charge of a system cannot change, that means (for example) if you are creating an electron (from a neutral particle), you must also create a plus charged particle to equal their charges to zero.
A0 -> B+ + C- [0=1+(-1)]
2] The total lepton number of a system cannot change. Only leptons carry a lepton number other than zero. Electrons, electron neutrinos, muons, muon neutrinos, taus and tau neutrinos have a lepton number of +1, whereas their corresponding antiparticles have -1.
That is the reason why beta decays have neutrinos in them. In beta minus, a neutron (lepton number or in short L =0) is converted into a proton (L=0) and an electron (L=1) that means we need to have a particle that has a -1 lepton number, which is in this case an electron antineutrino.
3] The flavours cannot change, unless it is a weak reaction. Quarks and leptons carry their own flavours (like electronness, muonness (muons), strangeness (strange quarks) etc.) and their corresponding anti particles have also their own flavours, but negative. For example, electrons have electron flavour =+1 and positrons have electron flavour=-1.
This is the reason why the muon decay looks like this;
μ− → e− + anti electron neutrino + muon neutrino
This conserves both charge, lepton number and flavour of each particles.
So, to sum it up, two sides of the reaction equation must be equal in those aspects.
I'm glad to help you :)BobP said:Thank you. very detailed answer. very grateful
The antiparticle production rule is a fundamental principle in particle physics that states that for every particle, there exists an antiparticle with the same mass and opposite quantum properties (such as charge). This rule is based on the concept of symmetry in the laws of physics.
Antiparticles can be produced through various processes, such as particle collisions and radioactive decay. In these processes, energy is converted into mass, creating a particle and its corresponding antiparticle. Antiparticles can also be artificially created in particle accelerators.
Antiparticle production has many applications in particle physics research, such as studying the fundamental forces and interactions between particles. It also has practical applications in medical imaging and cancer treatment, as well as in the development of new technologies, such as positron emission tomography (PET) scanners.
According to the Standard Model of particle physics, all particles have antiparticles except for the neutrino. This is because the neutrino is its own antiparticle, meaning it has the same properties as its antiparticle.
Antiparticles have the same mass as their corresponding particles, but they have opposite electric charge and other quantum properties. This means that they can interact and annihilate with their corresponding particles, resulting in the conversion of mass into energy. Antiparticles also have a shorter lifetime than particles due to their tendency to quickly interact with particles and annihilate.