Electron-Positron Annihilation
Want to create and measure anti-matter? Here's your chance.
This experiment looks at the decay products from electron-positron annihilation, specifically how the decay products are correlated and whether energy and momentum are conserved at this level of quantum interaction.
Reading
- Lab Handout for this experiment.
- See relevant chapter of "Experiments in Modern Physics" by Melissinos also.
Questions
- Explain what the SCA does for you in this experiment.
- Explain how the NaI detector works.
- Explain why the coincidence detector is so important.
- Explain how you will count your pulses.
Location
Room 107.
Equipment needed
- Sodium-22 source
- Oscilloscope
- NIM bin containing:
- (2) NaI detector
- (2) Single-Channel Analyzer
- Coincidence Detector
- Counter: in NIM bin, or using a LabVIEW interface
Cautions/hazards
- This Na-22 source is one of the hotter sources we use in the lab. Make sure that one of you wears the radiation badge at all times while in the lab.
- Dropping lead bricks is a hazard.
- High voltages present on the detectors.