Chapter 16

Particle Physics
e–

+me c 2

–me c 2
ENERGY

e+
F I G U R E 16.1 Dirac’s model for
the existence of antielectrons
(positrons). The states lower in energy
than m e c 2 are filled with electrons
(the Dirac sea). One of these electrons
can make a transition out of its state
only if it is provided with energy equal
to or larger than 2me c 2. That leaves a
vacancy in the Dirac sea, which can
behave as a particle identical to the
electron except for its positive charge.
(Courtesy Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California)

e+
Lead plate

e
Gamma rays
FIGURE 16.2 (a) Bubble-chamber
tracks of electron– positron pairs
produced by 300-MeV gamma
rays striking a lead plate.
(b) Sketch of the pertinent pair-
production events. Note that the
positrons deflect upward and the
electrons deflect downward in an
(a) (b) applied magnetic field.

F I G U R E 16.3 PET scans of

the brain of a healthy older
person (left) and that of a patient
suffering from Alzheimer’s
disease (right). Lighter regions
contain higher concentrations of
(National Institutes of Health)

radioactive glucose, indicating

higher metabolism rates and
therefore increased brain
activity.
 e Virtual e
photon

e e

FIGURE 16.4 Feynman

diagram representing a photon
mediating the electromagnetic
force bet-ween two electrons.
 F I G U R E 16.5 (a) Feynman
p n e ν diagram representing a proton and a
neutron interacting via the nuclear
0
Pion (π ) Z 0
force with a neutral pion mediating
the force. (This model is not the most
fundamental model for nucleon
p n e ν interaction.) (b) Feynman diag- ram
for an electron and a neutrino
interacting via the weak force with a
(a) (b) Z 0 boson mediating the force.
 (Courtesy of ICRR [Institute for Cosmic Ray Research], University of Tokyo)

F I G U R E 16.6 (Example 16.2) This detector at the

Super Kamiokande neutrino facility in Japan is used to
study photons and neutrinos. It holds 50 000 metric tons of
highly purified water and 13 000 photomultipliers. The
photograph was taken while the detector was being filled.
Technicians use a raft to clean the photodetectors before
they are submerged.
(Courtesy Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Photographic Services)

FIGURE 16.7 This bubble-chamber

photograph shows many events, and the inset is a
drawing of identified tracks. The strange particles
0 and K 0 are formed at the bottom as the

interacts with a proton according to p: 0

0
K . (Note that the neutral particles leave no
tracks, as indicated by the dashed lines.) The 0
and K0 then decay according to 0 : p and
K0 : 0 .
 0 +
n p S=0 K K S = +1

_
S = _1
_
Σ Λ0 Σ0 Σ+ π η π0 π+ S=0

η'

_ _ _ _
Ξ Ξ0 S= 2 K K0 S= 1

Q = +1 Q = +1

Q = _1 Q=0 Q = _1 Q=0
(a) (b)

F I G U R E 16.8 (a) The hexagonal eightfold-way pattern for the eight spin- 12 baryons. This strangeness-versus-charge plot
uses a sloping axis for charge number Q and a horizontal axis for strangeness S. (b) The eightfold-way pattern for the nine
spin-zero mesons.
 S=0 ∆ ∆0 ∆+ ∆++

S = –1 Σ Σ*0 Σ*+

Q = +2

F I G U R E 16.9 The pattern for the

S = –2 Ξ Ξ *0 higher-mass, spin- 32 baryons known at the time
the pattern was proposed. The three * and
Q = +1 two * particles are excited states of the
corresponding spin- 12 particles in Figure 16.8.
These excited states have higher mass and spin
S = –3 ? 3
2 . The absence of a particle in the bottom
position was evidence of a new particle yet to
Q = _1 Q=0 be discovered, the .

F I G U R E 16.10 Disc γ1
overy of the particle. The Λ0
photograph on the left
K+
shows the original bubble-
(Courtesy of Brookhaven National Laboratory)

chamber tracks. The drawing γ2

on the right isolates the
tracks of the important K0 0
events. The K particle at
Ω π
the bottom collides with a
proton to produce the first
detected part- icle plus a
K 0 and a K . K
 Mesons Baryons
π+ p

u u
u d
d

_
K n

u d
u s
d

Figure 16.11
Quark compositions of two mesons and two
baryons.
 q q Meson
Baryon F I G U R E 16.12 (a) A green
quark is attracted to an antigreen
quark, forming a meson whose quark
structure is (qq ). (b) Three quarks
of different colors attract one
(a)
(b) another to form a baryon.

n p
d u d u d u
uuu
annihilation F I G U R E 16.13 (a) A
nuclear interaction between
n p
a proton and a neutron
π d explained in terms of Yuka-
u wa’s pion-exchange model.
p n Because the pion carries
uu
u pair charge, the proton and
production
(a) Yukawa’s pion model
neutron switch identities.
d u u d d u (b) The same interaction,
p n explained in terms of quarks
and gluons. Note that the
(b) Quark model
exchanged ud quark pair
makes up a meson.
 MATTER AND ENERGY

FORCES CONSTITUENTS

Strong Gluon Quarks

u c t
Electro- Photon d s b
magnetic
W and Z bosons Leptons
Weak
e µ t
Gravity Graviton νe νµ νt

F I G U R E 16.14 The Standard Model of

particle physics.
(Courtesy of CERN)

I G U R E 16.15 A view from inside the Large

Electron – Positron (LEP) Collider tunnel, which is 27
km in circumference.
 (Courtesy of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory)

FIGURE 16.16 Computers at Fermilab create a

pictorial representation such as this one of the paths of
partic- les after a collision.
 64.5
n
π+

Σ+

Figure P16.24
S=0 d u

S = –1 s

Q=
_ 1
Q=+ 2
3 3