PHYS3C24 – Solutions Paper 1

S1. The potential is the Yukawa form

2 - r /R
g e
V(r) = -
4p r

where g is the coupling for the exchanged particle,

h hc
R≡ =
mc mc 2

is the range of the associated force and hc = 0.2GeV.fm .

The Klein-Gordon equation is

∂ 2f (x,t)
-h 2 = -h 2c 2— 2f (x,t) + m2 c 4 f (x,t)
∂t 2

and static solutions f(x,t) = V (r) obey

2 m2 c 2
— V (r) = 2 V (r)
h

To check the given solution, we substitute into the left side using

1 d È 2 dV (r) ˘
— 2V (r) = r
r2 dr ÍÎ dr ˙˚

For the Yukawa potential,

g2 1 d -g 2 1 - r R V(r)
2
— V (r) =
4p Rr 2 dr
[(r + R)e ] = 4p Rr 2 e = R 2
-r R

But R = h mc , so
2 m2 c 2
— V (r) = 2 V (r)
h

Using the range formula gives,

0.2
(a) Rp = fm = 1.4 fm ;
0.14
0.2
(b) RW = fm = 2.5x10 -3 fm ;
80
(c) Rg = • , because the gluon has zero mass.

1
S2.
(a) e+ + e- Æ e+ + e- ;

(b) ne + p Æ e + + n ;

(c) p - + p Æ n + p + + p - or n + p 0 + p 0 ;

(d) ne + p Æ n e + p

In all the Feynman diagrams, note the direction of arrows.

Pure electromagnetic interaction: some lowest order (examples)

e- e-
g

e+ e+
or
e- e-

e+ e+
Fourth order
e+ e+
g

e- e-
g
e- e-
As in the lowest order, there are variations on this diagram.

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Pure weak interaction: lowest order

e- e-
Z0

e+ e+
Again, other diagrams are possible, by analogy with the elecromagnetic case above.

S3. An exchanged particle travelling a distance d is equivalent to an energy-

momentum transfer q given by qc = hc d (by the uncertainty principle). Using
hc ª 2x10 GeV m , gives a momentum transfer q = (0.2 d) GeV c for a distance d fm.
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Thus, q = 0.2GeV c for d = 1fm and q = 200GeV c for d = 10-3 fm .

The scattering amplitude is given by

2 - g2 h 2
f (q ) = 2
q + mx 2 c 4

where mx is the mass of the exchanged particle. Thus,

2 f EM (q2 ) q2 c 2 + mW 2 c 4
R(q ) ≡ =
f Weak (q2 ) q2 c 2 + mg 2 c 4

since we are told that gEM ª gWeak . Thus, using mg = 0 and mW = 80GeV c 2 , gives

R(0.2GeV c) = 1.6x10 5 but R(200GeV c) = 1.2