A positron travelling at collides head-on with a stationary electron and the pair…

PHYSICS · Subjective · A Level · Physics · Particles and radiation · Particles and radiation

Problem

A positron travelling at 2.0×105 m s−12.0\times10^{5}\,\text{m s}^{-1} collides head-on with a stationary electron and the pair annihilates. Two photons are emitted in opposite directions along the initial line of motion. (a) Find the momentum of the incoming positron. (b) Using the result of part (a), calculate the energies of the two photons produced. Take me=9.11×10−31 kgm_e = 9.11\times10^{-31}\,\text{kg} and c=3.0×108 m s−1c = 3.0\times10^{8}\,\text{m s}^{-1}.

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