Physics: Principles with Applications (7th Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0-32162-592-7
ISBN 13: 978-0-32162-592-2

Chapter 32 - Elementary Particles - Search and Learn - Page 946: 4

Answer

a. 60.7 GeV. b. One is $\tau^+$ and the other is $\tau^-$. c. No.

Work Step by Step

a. Calculate the energy released. The Q-value is the mass energy of the reactant(s) on the left side, minus the mass energy of the products on the right side. $$Q=m_{H^0}c^2-2m_{\tau}c^2=125\times10^3 MeV-2(1777MeV)$$ $$=121.4\times10^3MeV=121.4 GeV$$ By symmetry, each $\tau$ receives half of this released kinetic energy, so the KE of each tau lepton is 60.7 GeV. b. The Higgs boson has no charge, so one $\tau$ is positively charged, and the other is negatively charged. c. This is not possible. The mass of the two Z bosons (two times 91.2 GeV) would be greater than the mass of the Higgs boson (125 GeV). The proposed decay would not conserve mass-energy.
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