Particle Interactions & Conservation — Structured Questions (Edexcel IAL Physics): Exam Questions

The diagram shows particle tracks in a detector. A negative K meson collided with a stationary proton. An omega baryon and a positive K meson were produced after the impact.

Explain the process that enables a particle detector to detect charged particles.

i) Describe the structure of a baryon and a meson.

ii) A magnetic field acts in the detector.

State the direction of the magnetic field.

iii) Deduce the charge and baryon number for the omega particle.

• The rest mass of the omega baryon is significantly larger than the rest mass of the proton.

Discuss how energy and momentum are conserved during this collision.

A particle collider can include a LINAC.

The diagram represents a LINAC.

Explain why this arrangement works with a constant frequency a.c. supply.

In a particle collider, a positron and an electron collided. Each particle had an energy of 14.5 GeV. The collision produced two particles of a type called omega baryons.

i) An omega baryon has a mass equivalent to 3272 times the mass of an electron.

Show that the mass of an omega baryon is about 1700 MeV/c².

ii) Calculate the kinetic energy of one of the omega baryons.

Kinetic energy = ...........................................(3)

A student correctly suggests that this collision cannot lead to both particles being omega baryons, as this breaks a conservation law.

Discuss the student’s suggestion.