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Does pair production happen even when the photon is around a neutron?


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$begingroup$


In order for a photon to decay into a pair of $e^+ e^-$, it must have at least $E_{gamma}=1.022$ MeV and must be near a nucleus in order to satisfy the conservation of energy-momentum.



But would this happen even if the photon is near a neutron and not necesarily a nucleus? Does the fact that the nucleus is charged have anything to do with this decay? Who acts upon the photon to induce the interaction?










share|cite|improve this question









$endgroup$

















    5












    $begingroup$


    In order for a photon to decay into a pair of $e^+ e^-$, it must have at least $E_{gamma}=1.022$ MeV and must be near a nucleus in order to satisfy the conservation of energy-momentum.



    But would this happen even if the photon is near a neutron and not necesarily a nucleus? Does the fact that the nucleus is charged have anything to do with this decay? Who acts upon the photon to induce the interaction?










    share|cite|improve this question









    $endgroup$















      5












      5








      5


      1



      $begingroup$


      In order for a photon to decay into a pair of $e^+ e^-$, it must have at least $E_{gamma}=1.022$ MeV and must be near a nucleus in order to satisfy the conservation of energy-momentum.



      But would this happen even if the photon is near a neutron and not necesarily a nucleus? Does the fact that the nucleus is charged have anything to do with this decay? Who acts upon the photon to induce the interaction?










      share|cite|improve this question









      $endgroup$




      In order for a photon to decay into a pair of $e^+ e^-$, it must have at least $E_{gamma}=1.022$ MeV and must be near a nucleus in order to satisfy the conservation of energy-momentum.



      But would this happen even if the photon is near a neutron and not necesarily a nucleus? Does the fact that the nucleus is charged have anything to do with this decay? Who acts upon the photon to induce the interaction?







      nuclear-physics pair-production






      share|cite|improve this question













      share|cite|improve this question











      share|cite|improve this question




      share|cite|improve this question










      asked 9 hours ago









      AWanderingMindAWanderingMind

      1837




      1837






















          2 Answers
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          active

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          6












          $begingroup$

          Quantum mechanics says that everything that is not forbidden is compulsory. Any process that doesn't violate a conservation law will happen, with some rate or cross-section. However, this general principle doesn't tell you what the rate is. For example, it's theoretically possible for 124Te to decay into two 62Ni nuclei plus four electrons and four antineutrinos, but to predict the (very small) rate, you need to know the relevant nuclear physics.



          In your example, the process probably would go at some rate determined by electromagnetic interactions, because the neutron has a magnetic field. But the rate would presumably be small because the magnetic field of a dipole falls off like $1/r^3$, and magnetic effects are usually down by $sim v/c$ compared to electric effects.






          share|cite|improve this answer









          $endgroup$





















            2












            $begingroup$

            Yes, pair production can occur even near a lone neutron. The presence of a mass for the photon to interact with is required for conservation of momentum (further explanation can be found here). To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production, though the probability of pair production increases approximately with atomic number squared. Experimentally, this would be hard to demonstrate as neutrons are hard to control and have a relatively short half life (~10.3 minutes).






            share|cite|improve this answer








            New contributor



            Maarten de Haan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
            Check out our Code of Conduct.





            $endgroup$









            • 1




              $begingroup$
              To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production This is not true, and it contradicts your later statement about the $Z^2$ dependence. The charge is relevant because it's a QED process, and the $Z^2$ dependence tells us that this vanishes to first order in QED for the neutron. However, one would expect some higher-order Feynman diagram to provide some nonvanishing rate.
              $endgroup$
              – Ben Crowell
              5 hours ago












            • $begingroup$
              Good point. I tried to find the relevant higher order correction, but I could only find corrections for large mass elements, and not for $Z=0$. I'll have to keep looking. Thanks
              $endgroup$
              – Maarten de Haan
              1 hour ago














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            2 Answers
            2






            active

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            2 Answers
            2






            active

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            active

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            6












            $begingroup$

            Quantum mechanics says that everything that is not forbidden is compulsory. Any process that doesn't violate a conservation law will happen, with some rate or cross-section. However, this general principle doesn't tell you what the rate is. For example, it's theoretically possible for 124Te to decay into two 62Ni nuclei plus four electrons and four antineutrinos, but to predict the (very small) rate, you need to know the relevant nuclear physics.



            In your example, the process probably would go at some rate determined by electromagnetic interactions, because the neutron has a magnetic field. But the rate would presumably be small because the magnetic field of a dipole falls off like $1/r^3$, and magnetic effects are usually down by $sim v/c$ compared to electric effects.






            share|cite|improve this answer









            $endgroup$


















              6












              $begingroup$

              Quantum mechanics says that everything that is not forbidden is compulsory. Any process that doesn't violate a conservation law will happen, with some rate or cross-section. However, this general principle doesn't tell you what the rate is. For example, it's theoretically possible for 124Te to decay into two 62Ni nuclei plus four electrons and four antineutrinos, but to predict the (very small) rate, you need to know the relevant nuclear physics.



              In your example, the process probably would go at some rate determined by electromagnetic interactions, because the neutron has a magnetic field. But the rate would presumably be small because the magnetic field of a dipole falls off like $1/r^3$, and magnetic effects are usually down by $sim v/c$ compared to electric effects.






              share|cite|improve this answer









              $endgroup$
















                6












                6








                6





                $begingroup$

                Quantum mechanics says that everything that is not forbidden is compulsory. Any process that doesn't violate a conservation law will happen, with some rate or cross-section. However, this general principle doesn't tell you what the rate is. For example, it's theoretically possible for 124Te to decay into two 62Ni nuclei plus four electrons and four antineutrinos, but to predict the (very small) rate, you need to know the relevant nuclear physics.



                In your example, the process probably would go at some rate determined by electromagnetic interactions, because the neutron has a magnetic field. But the rate would presumably be small because the magnetic field of a dipole falls off like $1/r^3$, and magnetic effects are usually down by $sim v/c$ compared to electric effects.






                share|cite|improve this answer









                $endgroup$



                Quantum mechanics says that everything that is not forbidden is compulsory. Any process that doesn't violate a conservation law will happen, with some rate or cross-section. However, this general principle doesn't tell you what the rate is. For example, it's theoretically possible for 124Te to decay into two 62Ni nuclei plus four electrons and four antineutrinos, but to predict the (very small) rate, you need to know the relevant nuclear physics.



                In your example, the process probably would go at some rate determined by electromagnetic interactions, because the neutron has a magnetic field. But the rate would presumably be small because the magnetic field of a dipole falls off like $1/r^3$, and magnetic effects are usually down by $sim v/c$ compared to electric effects.







                share|cite|improve this answer












                share|cite|improve this answer



                share|cite|improve this answer










                answered 7 hours ago









                Ben CrowellBen Crowell

                56.5k6169327




                56.5k6169327























                    2












                    $begingroup$

                    Yes, pair production can occur even near a lone neutron. The presence of a mass for the photon to interact with is required for conservation of momentum (further explanation can be found here). To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production, though the probability of pair production increases approximately with atomic number squared. Experimentally, this would be hard to demonstrate as neutrons are hard to control and have a relatively short half life (~10.3 minutes).






                    share|cite|improve this answer








                    New contributor



                    Maarten de Haan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.





                    $endgroup$









                    • 1




                      $begingroup$
                      To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production This is not true, and it contradicts your later statement about the $Z^2$ dependence. The charge is relevant because it's a QED process, and the $Z^2$ dependence tells us that this vanishes to first order in QED for the neutron. However, one would expect some higher-order Feynman diagram to provide some nonvanishing rate.
                      $endgroup$
                      – Ben Crowell
                      5 hours ago












                    • $begingroup$
                      Good point. I tried to find the relevant higher order correction, but I could only find corrections for large mass elements, and not for $Z=0$. I'll have to keep looking. Thanks
                      $endgroup$
                      – Maarten de Haan
                      1 hour ago


















                    2












                    $begingroup$

                    Yes, pair production can occur even near a lone neutron. The presence of a mass for the photon to interact with is required for conservation of momentum (further explanation can be found here). To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production, though the probability of pair production increases approximately with atomic number squared. Experimentally, this would be hard to demonstrate as neutrons are hard to control and have a relatively short half life (~10.3 minutes).






                    share|cite|improve this answer








                    New contributor



                    Maarten de Haan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.





                    $endgroup$









                    • 1




                      $begingroup$
                      To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production This is not true, and it contradicts your later statement about the $Z^2$ dependence. The charge is relevant because it's a QED process, and the $Z^2$ dependence tells us that this vanishes to first order in QED for the neutron. However, one would expect some higher-order Feynman diagram to provide some nonvanishing rate.
                      $endgroup$
                      – Ben Crowell
                      5 hours ago












                    • $begingroup$
                      Good point. I tried to find the relevant higher order correction, but I could only find corrections for large mass elements, and not for $Z=0$. I'll have to keep looking. Thanks
                      $endgroup$
                      – Maarten de Haan
                      1 hour ago
















                    2












                    2








                    2





                    $begingroup$

                    Yes, pair production can occur even near a lone neutron. The presence of a mass for the photon to interact with is required for conservation of momentum (further explanation can be found here). To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production, though the probability of pair production increases approximately with atomic number squared. Experimentally, this would be hard to demonstrate as neutrons are hard to control and have a relatively short half life (~10.3 minutes).






                    share|cite|improve this answer








                    New contributor



                    Maarten de Haan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.





                    $endgroup$



                    Yes, pair production can occur even near a lone neutron. The presence of a mass for the photon to interact with is required for conservation of momentum (further explanation can be found here). To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production, though the probability of pair production increases approximately with atomic number squared. Experimentally, this would be hard to demonstrate as neutrons are hard to control and have a relatively short half life (~10.3 minutes).







                    share|cite|improve this answer








                    New contributor



                    Maarten de Haan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.








                    share|cite|improve this answer



                    share|cite|improve this answer






                    New contributor



                    Maarten de Haan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.








                    answered 7 hours ago









                    Maarten de HaanMaarten de Haan

                    295




                    295




                    New contributor



                    Maarten de Haan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.




                    New contributor




                    Maarten de Haan is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                    Check out our Code of Conduct.










                    • 1




                      $begingroup$
                      To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production This is not true, and it contradicts your later statement about the $Z^2$ dependence. The charge is relevant because it's a QED process, and the $Z^2$ dependence tells us that this vanishes to first order in QED for the neutron. However, one would expect some higher-order Feynman diagram to provide some nonvanishing rate.
                      $endgroup$
                      – Ben Crowell
                      5 hours ago












                    • $begingroup$
                      Good point. I tried to find the relevant higher order correction, but I could only find corrections for large mass elements, and not for $Z=0$. I'll have to keep looking. Thanks
                      $endgroup$
                      – Maarten de Haan
                      1 hour ago
















                    • 1




                      $begingroup$
                      To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production This is not true, and it contradicts your later statement about the $Z^2$ dependence. The charge is relevant because it's a QED process, and the $Z^2$ dependence tells us that this vanishes to first order in QED for the neutron. However, one would expect some higher-order Feynman diagram to provide some nonvanishing rate.
                      $endgroup$
                      – Ben Crowell
                      5 hours ago












                    • $begingroup$
                      Good point. I tried to find the relevant higher order correction, but I could only find corrections for large mass elements, and not for $Z=0$. I'll have to keep looking. Thanks
                      $endgroup$
                      – Maarten de Haan
                      1 hour ago










                    1




                    1




                    $begingroup$
                    To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production This is not true, and it contradicts your later statement about the $Z^2$ dependence. The charge is relevant because it's a QED process, and the $Z^2$ dependence tells us that this vanishes to first order in QED for the neutron. However, one would expect some higher-order Feynman diagram to provide some nonvanishing rate.
                    $endgroup$
                    – Ben Crowell
                    5 hours ago






                    $begingroup$
                    To my knowledge, the charge of the nucleus is not significant to the process of pair production This is not true, and it contradicts your later statement about the $Z^2$ dependence. The charge is relevant because it's a QED process, and the $Z^2$ dependence tells us that this vanishes to first order in QED for the neutron. However, one would expect some higher-order Feynman diagram to provide some nonvanishing rate.
                    $endgroup$
                    – Ben Crowell
                    5 hours ago














                    $begingroup$
                    Good point. I tried to find the relevant higher order correction, but I could only find corrections for large mass elements, and not for $Z=0$. I'll have to keep looking. Thanks
                    $endgroup$
                    – Maarten de Haan
                    1 hour ago






                    $begingroup$
                    Good point. I tried to find the relevant higher order correction, but I could only find corrections for large mass elements, and not for $Z=0$. I'll have to keep looking. Thanks
                    $endgroup$
                    – Maarten de Haan
                    1 hour ago




















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