Homework 1

PHYS 411
Humberto Gilmer
September 12, 2013
Problem 1
The energy-momentum four-vector is given by
p

= (mc, mv
x
, mv
y
, mv
z
) =
_
E
c
, p
x
, p
y
, p
z
_
This gives the relation E = mc
2
. For a moving massive particle, the energy is given by E =
_
m
2
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
.
These two relations can be used to solve for :
E = mc
2
E
2
=
2
m
2
c
4
m
2
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
=
2
m
2
c
4

2
= 1 +
p
2
c
2
m
2
c
4
Given the position four-vector x

= (ct, x, y, z), the magnitude of the vector is equal to the square

of the proper time and is an invariant under Lorentz transformations:
2
= x

= c
2
t
2
x
2
y
2
z
2
.
To relate the time elapsed in the rest frame of a particle to the equivalent space-time interval in the lab
frame then c
2
t
2
= c
2
t
2
x
2
. Since elapsed times are related by t

= t then:
c
2

2
= c
2

2
x
2
x
2
= c
2
t
2
_

2
1
_
= c
2
t
2
_
1 +
p
2
c
2
m
2
c
4
1
_
= c
2
t
2
_
p
2
c
2
m
2
c
4
_
Thus the particle travels a distance x = ct
pc
mc
2
in the lab frame.
For the muon
_
mass = 106
MeV
c
2
= 106 10
6 eV
c
2
_
, the proper time is 2.2 s. If the muon has momentum
p = 1
GeV
c
2
= 10
9 eV
c
2
in the lab frame then the distance traveled is given by:
x =
_
3.0 10
8
_ _
2.2 10
6
_
_
10
9
106 10
6
_
= 6.226 10
3
m
If the muon has momentum p = 10
GeV
c
2
= 10 10
9 eV
c
2
:
x =
_
3.0 10
8
_ _
2.2 10
6
_
_
10 10
9
106 10
6
_
= 6.226 10
4
m
1
If the muon has momentum p = 10
GeV
c
2
= 100 10
9 eV
c
2
:
x =
_
3.0 10
8
_ _
2.2 10
6
_
_
100 10
9
106 10
6
_
= 6.226 10
5
m
Using the expression p = mv where =
1

1+
v
2
c
2
gives:
p = mv
p =
1
_
1 +
v
2
c
2
mv
p
2
= m
2
v
2
1 +
v
2
c
2
Solving for v gives
v = c
pc
_
m
2
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
With no time dilation, the elapsed time is given by d = v, where is the lifetime. Beginning with
p = 1
GeV
c
:
d =
1 10
9
_
(109 10
6
)
2
(1 10
9
)
2
(3.0 10
8
)(2.2 10
6
)
= 656.114 m
With p = 10
GeV
c
d =
1 10
9
_
(109 10
6
)
2
(10 10
9
)
2
(3.0 10
8
)(2.2 10
6
)
= 659.961 m
With p = 100
GeV
c
d =
100 10
9
_
(109 10
6
)
2
(100 10
9
)
2
(3.0 10
8
)(2.2 10
6
)
= 660.00 m
2
Problem 2
The scattering amplitude M (q) in the Born approximation is given by M (q) =
_
dr
3

f
V (r)
i
. Calculating
the scattering of a particle with a denite momentum o the Yukawa potential V (r) =
g
2
4
e

r
R
r
gives:r
M (q) =
_
dr
3

f
V (r)
i
=
_
dr
3
V (r)e
i qr

=
_

0
_

0
_
2
0

g
2
4
e

r
R
r
e
iqr cos

r
2
sin dddr
=
g
2
4
(2)
_

0
e

r
R
r
_

0
e
iqr cos

sin ddr
=
g
2
2
_

0
e

r
R
2 sin
_
qr

_
qr
rdr
=
g
2

q
_

0
e

r
R
sin
_
qr

_
dr
=
g
2

q
q
q
2
+

2
R
2
=

2
g
2
q
2
+

2
R
2
Problem 3
a
Given two energy-momentum four-vectors (p
1
)

and (p
2
)

, the Mandelstam variable s is dened as s =

(p
1
+p
2
)

(p
1
+p
2
)

c
2
. The invariant mass of a scattering system is the square root of this Mandelstam variable.
For the case of an incident particle a with momentum p
lab
_
and thus total energy E =
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
lab
c
2
_
on a stationary particle b ( with total energy E = m
b
c
2
), the corresponding four-vectors are dened as
(p
1
)

= (p
a
)

=
_

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
lab
c
2
c
, p
lab
, 0, 0
_
and (p
2
)

= (p
b
)

=
_
m
2
b
c
2
c
, 0, 0, 0
_
and thus (p
a
+ p
b
)

=
__

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
lab
c
2
c
+
m
b
c
2
c
_
, p
lab
, 0, 0
_
. As such:
s =
_

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
lab
c
2
c
+
m
2
b
c
2
c
_
2
p
2
lab
c
2
=
_
m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
lab
c
2
c
2
+
2m
b
c

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
lab
c
2
c
+ m
2
b
c
2
_
p
2
lab
c
2
=
m
2
a
c
2
+ m
2
b
c
2
+ 2m
b
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
lab
c
2
c
2
m =

s =
_
m
2
a
c
2
+ m
2
b
c
2
+ 2m
b
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
lab
c
2
c
3
b
Examining the invariant mass in the center of momentum frame in which both objects have equal mo-
mentum p

, rst calculate the energy for both objects in this frame: E

a
=
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
and E
b
=
_
m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
and thus (p
a
)

=
_

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
c
2
c
, p

, 0, 0
_
and (p
b
)

=
_

m
2
b
c
4
+p
2
c
2
c
, p

, 0, 0
_
. This gives
(p
a
+ p
b
)

=
_

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
c
2
c
+

m
2
b
c
4
+p
2
c
2
c
, p

, 0, 0
_
=
_

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
c
2
+

m
2
b
c
4
+p
2
c
2
c
, 0, 0, 0
_
. Thus
s =
_

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
c
2
+

m
2
b
c
4
+p
2
c
2
c
_
2
c
2
=
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
c
4
+
2
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
_
m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
c
4
+
m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
c
4
m =

s =
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
+ 2
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
_
m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
+ m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
c
2
c
Given the two momentum four-vectors describing the system in the lab frame
p

=
__

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
lab
c
2
c
+
m
b
c
2
c
_
, p
lab
, 0, 0
_
and in the center of momentum frame
p

=
_

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
c
2
+

m
2
b
c
4
+p
2
c
2
c
, 0, 0, 0
_
the invariant masses as found in parts a and b must be equal since
4
the above four-vectors are related by a Lorentz transformation. Thus
_
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
lab
c
2
c
+
m
b
c
2
c
_
2
p
2
lab
=
_
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
+
_
m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
c
_
2
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
lab
c
2
+ m
2
b
c
4
+ 2m
b
c
2
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
lab
c
2
c
2
p
2
lab
=
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
c
2
+
2
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
_
m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
c
2
+
m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
c
2
2m
b
c
2
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
lab
c
2
= 2p
2
c
2
+ 2
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
_
m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
m
2
b
c
4
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
lab
c
2
_
= p
4
c
4
+
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
_ _
m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
_
+ 2p
2
c
2
_
(m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
) (m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
)
m
2
a
m
2
b
c
8
+ m
2
b
p
2
lab
c
6
= p
4
c
4
+ m
2
a
m
2
b
c
8
+ m
2
a
p
2
c
6
+ m
2
b
p
2
c
6
+ p
4
c
4
+ 2p
2
c
2
_
(m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
) (m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
)
m
2
b
p
2
lab
c
6
= m
2
a
p
2
c
6
+ p
4
c
4
+ m
2
b
p
2
c
6
+ p
4
c
4
+ 2p
2
c
2
_
(m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
) (m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
)
m
2
b
p
2
lab
c
6
= p
2
c
2
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
+ m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
+ 2
_
(m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
) (m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
)
_
m
2
b
p
2
lab
= p
2
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
+ m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
+ 2
_
(m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
) (m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
)
c
4
_
m
b
p
lab
= p

_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
+ m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
+ 2
_
(m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
) (m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
)
c
2
m
b
p
lab
= p

s
p

=
m
b
p
lab

s
d
Given the relation E = m
a
c
2
=
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
and allows us to nd a value for for particle a:
E = m
a
c
2
E
2
=
2
m
2
a
c
4
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
=
2
m
2
a
c
4

2
= 1 +
p
2
c
2
m
2
a
c
4
5
while the relation p

= m
a
c and the solution to part c p

=
m
b
p
lab

s
p

= m
a
c
a
p
2
=
2
m
2
a
c
2

2
a
=
_
1 +
p
2
c
2
m
2
a
c
4
_
m
2
c
2

2
a
=
_
m
2
a
c
2
+ p
2
_

2
a

2
a
=
v
2
a
c
2
=
p
2
m
2
a
c
2
+ p
2
=
m
2
b
p
2
lab
s
m
2
a
c
2
+
m
2
b
p
2
lab
s
=
m
2
b
p
2
lab
sm
2
a
c
2
+ m
2
b
p
2
lab
v
a
= m
b
p
lab
c

1
sm
2
a
c
2
+ m
2
b
p
2
lab
Repeating the above process for particle b:
E = m
b
c
2
E
2
=
2
m
2
b
c
4
m
2
b
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
=
2
m
2
b
c
4

2
= 1 +
p
2
c
2
m
2
b
c
4
6
Doing the same for the momentum relation:
p

= m
b
c
b
p
2
=
2
m
2
b
c
2

2
b
=
_
1 +
p
2
c
2
m
2
b
c
4
_
m
2
b
c
2

2
b
=
_
m
2
b
c
2
+ p
2
_

2
b

2
b
=
v
2
b
c
2
=
p
2
m
2
b
c
2
+ p
2
=
m
2
b
p
2
lab
s
m
2
b
c
2
+
m
2
b
p
2
lab
s
=
m
2
b
p
2
lab
sm
2
b
c
2
+ m
2
b
p
2
lab
=
p
2
lab
sc
2
+ p
2
lab
v
b
= p
lab
c

1
sc
2
+ p
2
lab
e
To nd the relative velocity of one particle relative to another in the center of mass frame requires use
of the velocity-addition formula: v

=
u+v
1+
uv
c
2
where u is the velocity of the frame (in this case the velocity
of one of the particles), v is the velocity of the particle in the stationary frame (in this case the velocity
of the other particle in the c.o.m. frame), and v

is the relative velocity. Plugging in the values as found

above, u = m
b
p
lab
c
_
1
sm
2
a
c
2
+m
2
b
p
2
lab
and v
b
= p
lab
c
_
1
sc
2
+p
2
lab
_
, the relative velocity is given by
v

=
u + v
1 +
uv
c
2
=
m
b
p
lab
c
_
1
sm
2
a
c
2
+m
2
b
p
2
lab
+ p
lab
c
_
1
sc
2
+p
2
lab
1 +

m
b
p
lab
c

1
sm
2
a
c
2
+m
2
b
p
2
lab

p
lab
c

1
sc
2
+p
2
lab

c
2
=
m
b
c
_
1
sm
2
a
c
2
+m
2
b
p
2
lab
+ c
_
1
sc
2
+p
2
lab
1 +
_
m
b
_
1
sm
2
a
c
2
+m
2
b
p
2
lab
__
_
1
sc
2
+p
2
lab
_
f
In the c.o.m. frame the momentum after the collision will be identical to the momentum before, since the
collision is elastic.
7
g
The four-vector for the incoming particle in the c.o.m. frame is (p
1
)

=
_

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
c
2
c
, p

, 0, 0
_
and the four-
vector the same particle after scattering in the c.o.m frame is (p
3
)

=
_

m
2
a
c
4
+p
2
c
2
c
, p

cos , p

sin , 0
_
.
Taking the inner product of the two four-vectors yields:
(p
1
)

(p
3
)

=
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
c
2
c
2
p
2
cos
= m
2
a
c
2
+ p
2
p
2
cos
= m
2
a
c
2
+ p
2
(1 cos )
The momentum exchange Mandelstam variable is dened as t = (p
1
p
3
)

(p
1
p
3
)

= p
2
1
2p
1
p
3
+ p
2
3
.
Since the particle has the same invariant mass before and after the collision p
2
1
= p
2
3
= m
2
a
c
2
. Thus
t = (p
1
p
3
)

(p
1
p
3
)

= p
2
1
2p
1
p
3
+ p
2
3
= m
2
a
c
2
+ m
2
a
c
2
2
_
m
2
a
c
2
+ p
2
(1 cos )
_
= 2m
2
a
c
2
2m
2
c
c
2
2p
2
c
2
(1 cos )
t = q
2
= 2p
2
(1 cos )
Problem 4
a
Since quantum mechanics dictates that the range of interaction for massive particles be restricted by the
Heisenberg principle, the range can be calculated by R =

mc
. For the muon
_
mass = 136
MeV
c
2
_
the eective
range of the interaction is
R =

mc
=
(6.584 10
16
)(3.0 10
8
)
138 10
6
= 1.431 10
15
m
b
The Feynman diagram describing this interaction can be found the last page.
c
To calculate the momentum and energy of the two particles in the c.o.m., given both have mass m
a
=
938
MeV
c
2
and the incoming proton has momentum p
lab
= 2
GeV
c
2
it is necessary to rst calculate the invariant
mass given by the square root of the Mandelstam variable s as found in Problem 3a:
m =

s =
_
m
2
a
c
2
+ m
2
b
c
2
+ 2m
b
_
m
2
a
c
4
+ p
2
lab
c
2
c
=
_
(93810
6
)
2
c
2
+
(93810
6
)
2
c
2
+ 2
_
93810
6
c
2
_
_
(938 10
6
)
2
+ (2 10
9
)
2
c
= 2.43 10
9
eV
c
2
8
By the relation found in Problem 3c, p

=
m
b
p
lab

s
. Plugging in the values for m
b
, p
lab
, and

s gives:
p

=
m
b
p
lab

s
=
(938 10
6
) (2 10
9
)
2.43 10
9
= 7.72 10
8
eV
c
= 0.772
GeV
c
Using the total energy relation E =
_
m
2
a
c
2
+ p
2
c
2
and the fact that both particles have essentially the
same mass and in the c.o.m. frame have the same momentum, the energies of both particles are equal and
given by:
E =
_
m
2
a
c
2
+ p
2
c
2
=
_
(938 10
6
)
2
+ (7.72 10
8
)
2
= 1.21GeV
d
Using the relations E = mc
2
and p = mc for a given particle with energy E and momentum p, the
velocity can be found by dividing the two equations:
p = mc
E = mc
2
=
mc
mc
2
=

c
=
v
c
2
=v =
pc
2
E
Plugging in the values found in part c E = 1.21GeV and p = 0.772
GeV
c
v =
0.772c
1.21
= 0.638c
Using relativistic velocity addition such that v

=
v+u
1+
uv
c
2
and letting v = u = 0.638c then
v

=
v + u
1 +
uv
c
2
=
0.638c + 0.638c
1 + (0.638)
2
= 0.906c
e
Given the dierential scattering amplitude for the Yukawa potential M (q) =

2
g
2
q
2
M
2
X
c
2
, where M
X
is the
mass of the exchange particle, the total scattering cross section can be found by integrating the square of
M (q) over all solid angles d (Note: Since the momentum of the particles in the c.o.m. frame is constant,
9
then q
2
= 2p
2
(1 cos )):
d
d
=
g
f
4
2

4
q
2
f
v
i
v
f
M

(q) M (q)
=
g
f
4
2

4
q
2
f
v
i
v
f
_
M

(q) M (q) d
=
g
f
4
2

2
p
2
(v
n
+ v
p
)
2
_
2
0
_

0
g
4

4
(2p
2
(1 cos ) M
2
X
c
4
)
2
sin dd
= 2
g
f
4
2
g
4
p
2
c
2
(v
n
+ v
p
)
2
_

0
sin
(2p
2
c
2
(1 cos ) M
2
X
c
4
)
2
d
= 2
g
f
4
2
g
4
p
2
c
2
(v
n
+ v
p
)
2
_
2
M
2
X
c
4
(M
2
X
c
4
+ 4p
2
c
2
)
_
=
g
f
p
2
c
2
g
4
(v
n
+ v
p
)
2
_
_
1
4M
2
X
c
4
p
2
c
2
_
M
2
X
c
4
4p
2
c
2
+ 1
_
_
_
=
g
f
g
4
4 (v
n
+ v
p
)
2
1
M
2
X
c
4
_
M
2
X
c
2
4p
2
c
2
+ 1
_
(v
n
+ v
p
)
2
M
2
X
c
4
4
2
c
2
g
f
_
1 +
M
2
X
c
4
p
2
c
2
_
=
g
4
4
2

2
c
2
=
2
x

x
=
M
X
c
2
(v
n
+ v
p
)
c

4g
f
_
M
2
X
c
4
p
2
c
2
+ 1
_
=
0.139(1.276)
0.197

2.5
16
_
0.139
2
2
2
+ 1
_
= 0.201
Comparing the value for
x
to that for =
1
137
= 0.0073 indicates that the coupling for the strong force
is stronger than that for the electromagnetic force, as expected. Since the interaction has a very limited
range I would expect perturbation theory and the Born approximation to work; however, the forces high
strength means that perturbation theory may not be the best method to calculate scattering.
10