Muons: How Particles "Pop In and Out of Existence

  • B
  • Thread starter Simon Peach
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Operator
In summary, the article is discussing the virtual particles that are used in calculations when trying to understand the behavior of particles in quantum field theories. The article states that disregarding these seemingly impossible paths (since there is insufficient mass-energy for the particles imagined in the intermediate steps) gives you the wrong answer.
  • #1
Simon Peach
79
17
This a quote from Nature of the 30 of june 2022
'Like the electron, the muon has a magnetic field that makes it act like a tiny bar magnet. As muons travel, they generate various particles that briefly pop in and out of existence."
Now I would like to know how 'various particles' pop in and out of existence. Surely this carn't be correct as matter carn't be created form nothing?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Please link to the original article.
 
  • #3
@Orodruin here: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01810-z@Simon Peach : It is just a popular science description, it should not be taken too literarly.

Anyway, the article is referring to something called virtual particles, which are not real - they are only calculational tools when computing things in perturbative quantum field theories.
This is a more of a professional description https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-energy
And here is anomalous magnetic dipole moment https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomalous_magnetic_dipole_moment

So, the muon can not only couple directly to a photon (mediator of the electromagnetic force), it can also couple via "loop" interactions, in which there are virtual particles - internal propagators. The popular science approach is to interpret those propagators as something that actually exists, but only for a short moment of time due to Heisenberg uncertainty relation ##\Delta E \Delta t > h / 4 \pi##

Sounds way cooler to talk about "virtual particles that violates energy conservation but only for a short period of time" than "internal propagators which are to be integrated over the entire momentum space..."
 
  • Like
Likes vanhees71, PeroK, ohwilleke and 1 other person
  • #4
  • Like
Likes vanhees71, PeroK, Vanadium 50 and 2 others
  • #5
Simon Peach said:
This a quote from Nature of the 30 of june 2022
'Like the electron, the muon has a magnetic field that makes it act like a tiny bar magnet. As muons travel, they generate various particles that briefly pop in and out of existence."
Now I would like to know how 'various particles' pop in and out of existence. Surely this carn't be correct as matter carn't be created form nothing?
The calculation involves considering every possible way consistent with the rules of particle physics that something can happen, disregarding whether there is sufficient mass-energy to allow them to happen, and then modifies the weight given to possibilities with insufficient mass-energy (virtual particles) based upon how big the shortfall of mass-energy is.

It turns out that disregarding these seemingly impossible paths (since there is insufficient mass-energy for the particles imagined in the intermediate steps) gives you the wrong answer.
 
  • #6
It is funny to note that the discovery of the Higgs boson uses two of these "loops" with virtual particles.

Production via gluon gluon fusion
1657653457978.png


Decay to a pair of photons
1657653482597.png
 
  • Like
Likes vanhees71 and ohwilleke
  • #7
drmalawi said:
It is funny to note that the discovery of the Higgs boson uses two of these "loops" with virtual particles.

Production via gluon gluon fusion
View attachment 304092

Decay to a pair of photons
View attachment 304093
That’s a top class observation.

😁

(Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all week. Feel free to tip your waiters! 😛)
 
  • Haha
Likes vanhees71 and ohwilleke
  • #8
Orodruin said:
That’s a top class observation.
I have to go to the bottom of this, seems rather strange.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Likes vanhees71, ohwilleke and Orodruin
  • #9
drmalawi said:
I have to go to the bottom of this, seems rather strange.
Charming. Picked me up a bit, I was starting to feel down.
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Likes vanhees71 and ohwilleke
  • #10
Orodruin said:
Charming. Picked me up a bit, I was starting to feel down.
I have to watch your replies again using my technicolor-VCR ... perhaps I can see some more structure
 
  • Like
Likes vanhees71
  • #12
drmalawi said:
I have to watch your replies again using my technicolor-VCR ... perhaps I can see some more structure
I’ll go looking for my super-VHS tapes. I’m sure I’ll find them as soon as I turn on the light in my large circular basement.
 

FAQ: Muons: How Particles "Pop In and Out of Existence

1. What are muons?

Muons are subatomic particles that are similar to electrons, but with a much greater mass. They are classified as leptons and are considered to be one of the fundamental particles that make up the universe.

2. How do muons "pop in and out of existence"?

Muons are constantly being created and destroyed in the universe due to the presence of high-energy particles and radiation. These particles and radiation can cause the creation of muon-antimuon pairs, which quickly annihilate each other, resulting in the appearance of muons "popping in and out" of existence.

3. Why are muons important in particle physics?

Muons are important in particle physics because they can provide insights into the fundamental forces and interactions of the universe. They are also used in high-energy experiments to study the properties of other particles and to test theories of the universe.

4. How are muons detected and measured?

Muons are detected and measured using specialized detectors, such as particle accelerators and detectors that can track the paths of particles. These detectors use electromagnetic fields and other techniques to identify and measure the properties of muons.

5. What practical applications do muons have?

Muons have a variety of practical applications, including medical imaging, carbon dating, and studying the Earth's atmosphere. They are also used in industrial processes and in the development of new technologies, such as muon tomography for detecting hidden structures.

Similar threads

Back
Top