IB Physics Option J Particle Physics Higher Level Contents Particles and interactions a. Elementary particles b.

Three classes of observed particles c. Identifying elementary particles d. Mass and quantum numbers of particles e. Spin f. Antiparticles g. Paulis Exclusion Principle h. The four fundamental interactions i. Exchange particles j. Heisenbergs Uncertainty Principle k. Feynman diagrams l. Virtual particles m. Interaction range n. Pair production and annihilation Particle accelerators and detectors a. High energy for mass b. High energy for size c. Linear accelerator d. Cyclotron e. Synchrotron f. Bremsstrahlung braking radiation g. Pros and cons of accelerators h. Photomultiplier i. Bubble chamber j. Wire chamber Quarks a. Structure in terms of quarks b. The need for colour c. Strangeness d. Quark confinement Leptons and the standard model a. The three classes of fundamental particles b. Conservation laws c. The Higgs boson Experimental evidence a. The eight-fold way b. Deep inelastic scattering c. Asymptotic freedom d. Neutral current e. Evidence for the standard model Cosmology and strings a. Temperature and the Big Bang b. Early particle interactions c. Matter vs antimatter d. String theory Common mistakes Page 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 9 11 11 12 13 13 13 14 14 15 16 17 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 24 24 25 26 26 26 28 29 30 31 31 31 33 34 35

Questions Answers

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The cyclotron vacuum chamber

deflecting plate

Path of particles Radio frequency oscillator

dee plates

-this creates an electric field in the gap between the electrodes, strength E. -the direction of this field changes with the radio frequency cycle. -superimposed on this is a vertical magnetic field (not shown). -particles of charge Q are introduced into the centre of the chamber at a low velocity. -being charged they will be accelerated to one of the Dee plates. -the force F is given by F = EQ and the acceleration a given by F = ma. -once inside the Dee plate, there is no electric field so speed is constant. -a charged particle moving at right angles to a magnetic field experiences a force that causes it to move in a circle. -the radius r is given by r = mv/BQ -the particle moves in a semi circle until it leaves the Dee and moves into the gap again. -the radio signal is set so that electric field is now reversed in time with the ion. -it is accelerated to the second Dee plate. -being faster it moves in a circle with a greater radius. -this process is repeated, with the electric field reversing in time with the circulating particle so it gets a boost from the field each time it passes the gap then turned in a greater and greater circle inside the Dee plates. -the speed of the particles increases in proportion to the radius so they actually take a constant period to complete each revolution. -thus the radio frequency of the oscillator is constant at the same value. -ions of the same atom will all take the same time Key points The cyclotron uses magnetic resonance acceleration. Charged particles speed up in an alternating electric field with ever greater radii a magnetic field. 2e The synchrotron The synchrotron

ring electrodes Ion beam r

ring electromagnets ring vacuum chamber

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-in the model, the famous actor is one of our fundamental particles. -the crowded room of guests represents the Higgs field. -when the particle moves through the Higgs field, it has mass. -the clump of guests that gossip about the arrival of the actor represent the Higgs boson. The actor red arrives at the party, the guests green either gather round him and he gets inertia moving through the room, or guests cluster to talk of his arrival and the rumour moves through the crowd. -particles obtain mass when they move through the Higgs field. -the Higgs boson is the exchange particle of the field. -a Higgs boson is expected to have a very large mass (order 100GeV). O -to create a Higgs boson requires using massive particles, such as Z and the top quark. O -massive particles such as Z and the top quark are hard to create and last for such short periods, hence it is also difficult to create Higgs bosons. -an example of a reaction that could involve the Higgs boson would be a collision between a very energetic electron-positron pair. O -this would create first a Z particle, which then gives out the Higgs boson: A Higgs boson interaction H e+ ZO
O

e-

ZO Task box 12

Task box 12. Some of you might dream of a super model, but lets see what you know about the Standard Model. Fill in the gaps then look at the answers below: There are (1) generations of fundamental particles. There are (2) particles in each generation, six quantities are conserved in all reactions, (3). (4) is conserved in (5) and (6) interactions, but not always in (7) interactions. Particles acquire (8) from a hypothetical particle called the (9) boson.

1. _________ 2.__________ 3.__________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ 4._________ 5._________ 6._________ 7._________ 8._________ 9._________

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J5 Experimental evidence for quarks

5a The eightfold way -there are three important pieces of evidence for the existence of quarks. -firstly, a pattern had been noticed in the known hadrons. -this pattern is called the eightfold way. -known hadrons could be placed in a table where position was based on mass, charge etc and the pattern suggested that they were all made of something more fundamental. -strangeness is another conserved number in reactions. -any particle that contains a strange quark has a strangeness of S = -1. -any that contain two strange quarks have a strangeness of S = -2 etc. -there are several ways to put three quarks together. -there is a pattern if they are listed in order of charge and strangeness. the eight-fold way udd uud strangeness uuu

ddd

dds dss

uds uss

uus

sss

charge -for each row find the strangeness of each particle and write it in the box. -they should be the same for each row changing regularly down the rows. -for each downward diagonal, calculate the charge and write it in the circle. -again there should be a pattern. -eg, take the particle in the middle of the diagram the (uds). -it has a strangeness S = -1 as there is one strange quark. -it has a charge of u = +2/3, d = -1/3, s = -1/3 = 2/3 -1/3 -1/3 = 0 -this particle is called the lambda or 0 as it is neutral. -can you spot the proton and neutron? -this diagram predicted the existence of as yet undetected particles, such as the (sss) or omega or - as it has a charge of 1. -in answer to the above diagram, strangeness from 0, -1, -2, -3 down while charge increases from -1, 0, +1 +2 diagonally upwards. Task 13: a xi ( ) particle has a charge of 1 and strangeness of 2. Name the three quarks. Key points -baryons can be put in order of their charge and strangeness. -the pattern allowed the prediction of baryons that have now been detected. 5b Deep inelastic scattering -the second piece of evidence came from firing very high energy electrons at atomic targets and observing how they scattered.

Task box 12 Answers 1. three 2. four. 3. spin, charge, lepton number, baryon number, mass-energy, momentum 4. strangeness 5. strong 6. electromagnetic 7. weak 8. mass. 9. Higgs.

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