1) Is pair production possible in vacuum? Substantiate.

2) Prove that electron-positron pair creation by a high energy photon

cannot take place in vacuum.
3) Discuss briefly the phenomenon of pair production.
4) The energy of an excited state of N 14 (denoted by N 14∗¿ ¿) relative to the ground

state is 8.62 MeV.

(i) If the excited state is formed by bombarding C13 with protons (p+C13 ->
N14*) what must be the kinetic energy of the proton? [Consider the
recoil of N14* in the calculation]. Deduce the formula you use.
(ii) If this N14* at rest decays to the ground state by the emission of a single
𝜸 –ray photon, what will be the energy of the photon, considering the
recoil of N14?
Given mass of proton=938.8 MeV, mass of C13=12112.7MeV, mass of
N14=13043.9 MeV.
5) (a) Discuss briefly the phenomenon of pair production. 3
(b) Consider the following reactions:
N14(d,p)N15, Q=8.61 MeV
N15(d,α)C13, Q=7.68 MeV
C13(d,α)B11,Q=5.16 MeV
B11(α,n)N14
Find the Q-value of the last reaction. Given, mass of α =4.002604 u,
mass of d=2.014102 u, mass of proton=1.00814 u, mass of neutron
=1.00898 u.
6) What are the different processes through which 𝜸 rays interact with
matter? Which of these processes is expected to dominate at a -ray
energy of 10 MeV?
7) What are the different processes through which charged particles and
gamma rays lose energy when they pass through matter?