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This activity develops your skills in interpreting Feynman diagrams. After some explanation
you are asked to describe what is happening in various diagrams and to explain the
similarities and differences of similar looking diagrams. You will also consider the rest mass
energies of some of the particles, make calculations from the data and draw conclusions from
your answers.
Feynman diagrams
Read the article that follows and then answer the uestions.
Feynman diagrams were developed to describe the interactions of charged particles in
uantum physics and they have found a wide use in describing a variety of particle
interactions.
They are a type of space!time diagram" the time axis points upwards and the space
axis points to the right, as shown in Figure #. $%article physicists often reverse this
orientation.& %articles are shown as lines with arrows that denote the direction of their
travel in time. $%article physicists show antiparticles moving in the opposite direction.&
'ote that the lines do not show the actual tra(ectory of particles in space.
)irtual, or exchange, particles such as the photon or the * boson $*
or *
+
& are
shown as wavy lines. * bosons are heavier than a neutron and give rise to the weak
force. ,ince they exist for a very short time they do not violate the law of conservation
of energy.
Figure 1
Particle Symbol Rest energy/MeV Particle Symbol Rest energy/MeV
photon - neutron n ./..00#
proton p ./1.203
neutrino 4 - electron e or
-.0##
antineutrino 4 - positron e
+
or
+
-.0##
AQA Physics A AS Level Extension Activity Nelson Thornes Ltd 2008 1
Topic 1.5
How particles interact
1
Questions
1 The Feynman diagram for beta decay is shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5
(a) 5xplain what is happening in Figure 2.
(b) *hy is it wrong to draw beta decay as shown in Figure /6
(c) *hat are the differences and similarities between Figure 2 and Figure 76
(d) *hat are the differences and similarities between Figure 7 and Figure 06
2 8raw the Feynman diagram for the following9
(a) %air production of an electron and a positron from a photon.
(b) Annihilation of an electron and a positron into two photons.
3 :ook at the Feynman diagrams for
and
+
decay in Figure ;. 8escribe, in your own words, the
difference between these decays.
Figure
4 The rest energies of different particles are given in the A<A data booklet and some of
them are given in the article.
(a) =alculate the energy in (oules released in the decay n > p +
+ 4
(b)
+
decay can be represented as p > n +
+
+ 4
:ook at the rest energies of the particles involved and make a comment.
(c) The rest energy of a * boson is 1-
?e). 5xplain why the *
meet and should be shown moving forwards in time $that is, up the page&.
(g) 8ifferences9 in Figure 2 the *
and even C bosons.
See also Chapter 1, Topic 1.5, How particles interact
AQA Physics A AS Level Extension Activity Nelson Thornes Ltd 2008 3
Topic 1.5
How particles interact
1
3 An