Question

When an electron and positron collide at the SLAC facility, they each have 50.0 GeV kinetic energies. What is the total collision energy available, taking into account the annihilation energy? Note that the annihilation energy is insignificant, because the electrons are highly relativistic.

a) 100 GeV
b) 50.0 GeV
c) 25.0 GeV
d) 0 GeV

Answer 1

The total collision energy available when an electron and positron collide at the SLAC facility, with each having 50.0 GeV kinetic energies, is 100 GeV.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an electron and positron collide, they can undergo annihilation, converting their combined mass into energy. In this case, the annihilation energy is considered insignificant because the electrons are highly relativistic. The total collision energy available can be calculated by adding the kinetic energies of the two particles.

Since both the electron and positron have 50.0 GeV kinetic energies, the total collision energy available is 100 GeV.

Therefore, the correct answer is option a) 100 GeV.