PHY357S: Wednesday, 11 February 1998

Problem Set 3

due Monday, 9 March 1998

(Late penalty is 10% per day, and no problem set is accepted after March 11.)

These problems are based on Chapters 1-10 of Frauenfelder and Henley (F&H) and the lectures.
If you have any questions about these problems, ask me.

Each problem is of equal weight, but not all problems may be marked.

 

1) (a) When antiprotons stop in hydrogen, they quickly displace atomic electrons and form proton-antiproton atoms. (i) What is the binding energy of a hydrogen atom in the ground state? (Hydrogen atoms are discussed in almost any 1st year textbook.) (ii) Calculate the binding energy of a proton-antiproton atom in the ground state? (b) Proton-antiproton atoms usually have orbital angular momentum L=0 when they annihilate via the strong interaction. Which of the following final states are allowed, and what is the orbital angular momentum of the final state? (i) p+p-, (ii) p0p0.

 

2) (a) F&H Problem 8.6. (Experimental hint: The deuteron is the only known two nucleon bound state.) (b) F&H Problem 8.7.

 

3) F&H Problem 9.29

 

4) (a) F&H Problem 10.16. (b) F&H Problem 10.17.

 

Reminder: The Term Test is on March 2 during the normal lecture time. The test will be 50 minutes long and will cover the lectures up to reading week and Chapters 1-9 of Frauenfelder and Henley. A calculator is recommended and one handwritten (not copied) letter-sized double-sided aid sheet is allowed.