Proton Proton Collisions

[Little Bang]

We strip the electron from a proton put it into a super collider and have a collision with another proton that produces some exotic particles. What happens to those particles and where does the electron that was stripped from the proton end up?

[Jay-qu]

Interesting question, I dont know much about this area but I would imagine the particles are probably unstable and all decay in various ways eventually to photons. The electrons after been ionised would be seperated via a magnetic or electric field, not sure where they would go.. When I went to the aussie synchrotron I asked what happens to the electrons and they said they power it down a little then turn it off and they slam into the containment ring walls, a few hundred electrons wont have any significant effect.

[Little Bang]

Ok Jay I'll buy that they probably decay into our definition of the photon. If that is the case then we have an electron (possibly millions by now) wondering around the earth. They would go completely un-noticed but would stay in the vicinity of the earth giving it a slightly negative charge.

[Erasmus00]

Ok Jay I'll buy that they probably decay into our definition of the photon. If that is the case then we have an electron (possibly millions by now) wondering around the earth. They would go completely un-noticed but would stay in the vicinity of the earth giving it a slightly negative charge.

 

Charge is conserved, so no matter what happens, the final product of a proton proton collision will have a charge of 2 coulombs. (and the electrons stripped off had -2 coulombs). So, in the end, the LHC will not be altering the charge of the Earth, or anything like that.

-Will

[Little Bang]

Is the charge conserved via the decay radiation?

[Erasmus00]

Is the charge conserved via the decay radiation?

 

I'm not sure what you mean by decay radiation, but charge is always conserved in standard model processes.

-Will

[Little Bang]

If all the products of the collision turn into photons do the photons some how maintain the charge conservation?

[Erasmus00]

If all the products of the collision turn into photons do the photons some how maintain the charge conservation?

 

They don't all turn into photons. Usually the final state has some sort of charged leptons or charged mesons (or neutrinos,etc). Proton-proton collisions are messy, lots of jets and whatnot in the final state.

-Will

[Qfwfq]

If all the products of the collision turn into photons...

Where do you get the idea that they would? With proton-antiproton, this would conserve charge and baryon number although it still isn't the prevalent outcome, but for proton-proton it simply isn't possible.

[Jay-qu]

Where do you get the idea that they would? With proton-antiproton, this would conserve charge and baryon number although it still isn't the prevalent outcome, but for proton-proton it simply isn't possible.

Sorry I think I gave him that idea with a poorly worded post above :hal_jackolantern:

[Qfwfq]

Well we can let you off light if you promise to say "Charge and baryon number are conserved." every night before bed and also to every girl that smiles or winks at you, from now on!

[Jay-qu]

Well we can let you off light if you promise to say "Charge and baryon number are conserved." every night before bed and also to every girl that smiles or winks at you, from now on!

ok. What about spin? or is that implied by baryon number conservation?

[Qfwfq]

Spin is intrinsic angular momentum. Overall angular momentum is conserved but it's a complicated matter.