In an astrophysical simulation of stellar nucleosynthesis inside a supernova, heavy ion nuclei are accelerated to extreme speeds. One such ion species, nucleus X, is detected by a satellite spectrometer.
Table 1 gives the data for this particular nucleus X.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Mass / kg\text{kg}kg | 5.01×10−265.01 \times 10^{-26}5.01×10−26 |
| Specific charge / C kg−1\text{C kg}^{-1}C kg−1 | 4.47×1074.47 \times 10^{7}4.47×107 |
| Kinetic energy / MeV\text{MeV}MeV | 240240240 |
Determine the number of neutrons in nucleus X.
Calculate the speed of X. Ignore relativistic effects.
In the collision of high-energy protons within the supernova remnants, a positive pion (π+\pi^+π+) and a positive kaon (K+K^+K+) are generated.
The π+\pi^+π+ decays to produce an antimuon (μ+\mu^+μ+) and a muon neutrino (νμ\nu_\muνμ). Show how the conservation laws apply to this decay.
The K+K^+K+ decays to produce an antimuon (μ+\mu^+μ+) and a muon neutrino (νμ\nu_\muνμ). Explain how strangeness applies in this decay.
Write an equation for a K+K^+K+ decay that involves only hadrons.
50 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Physics Particles, covering Constituents of the atom, Stable and unstable nuclei, Particles, antiparticles and photons, Particle interactions, Classification of particles, Quarks and antiquarks, and Applications of conservation laws. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.