EP-408 (Experimental Techniques in Nuclear and Particle Physics)

Tutorial II
Interaction of charged, neutral particles and photons with matter

1. Consider a two-body scattering (relativistic collision) of a heavy projectile of mass m with an electron which is
initially stationary (discussed in the class). Show that, when the energy of the projectile is low i. e. ≪ ,
2 2 2
where p is the linear momentum of the projectile, the maximum energy transfer to the electron is Wm 2mec   ,
assume ≫ . For the proton of energy 100 GeV, find the approximate value of Wm.
[Ans: 100 MeV]
2. Consider two protons with the same kinetic energy and travelling on a head-on collision trajectory. The protons
repel each other by the Coulomb force. At the point of closest approach the distance between protons is
21010m. What is the kinetic energy of each of these protons?
[Ans:1.8 keV]
3. Show that for an elastic collision of a proton of mass m, speed v, with a stationary nucleus of mass M, the
mM
maximum energy transfer is ∆Emax = m (m+ )
.

4. Consider the process of collision between a projectile of mass m, kinetic energy ELab and a stationary target of
mass M in the laboratory fame. Show that the total kinetic energy in the centre of mass frame will be =
.

*5. A thin target of lithium is bombarded by helium nuclei of energy E0. The lithium nuclei are initially at rest in the
target but are essentially unbound. When a helium nucleus enters a lithium nucleus, a nuclear reaction can occur
in which the compound nucleus splits apart into a boron nucleus and a neutron. The collision is inelastic, and the
final kinetic energy is less than E0 by 2.8 MeV. The relative masses of the particles are: helium, mass 4; lithium,
mass 7; boron, mass 10; neutron, mass 1. The reaction can be symbolized Li+ He→ B+ n - 2.8.
(a) What is E0,th, the minimum value of E0 for which neutrons can be produced? What is the energy of the neutrons
at this threshold?
(b) Show that if the incident energy falls in the range E 0, th< E0 < E0, th+0.27 MeV, the neutrons ejected in the
forward direction do not all have the same energy but must have either one or the other of two possible energies.

6. Use the table of mass excess to find the threshold kinetic energy of the projectile p for the reaction +
→ + to occur. Find the energy of the neutron in the laboratory frame at the threshold.
[Ans: 1.879 MeV, 29.4 keV]
7. For making the nuclear bomb, thermal neutrons are bombarded on the 235U target and the process of fission
occurs. Find the minimum kinetic energy of each of the emitted neutrons in the process of fission
+ → + + 2 , assuming that the nuclei Kr and Ba do not carry any energy.
[Ans: 95 MeV]
*8. Discuss the concept of cross section () classically and semi-classically.

9. Using the concept of classical cross section, show that the scattering from a three dimensional hard-sphere of
radius a is a2.

*10.Using classical Mechanics, show that the angular momentum L of two colliding particles is given by =
( )
;  is the geometric cross section and is equal to b2, where b is the impact parameter.

11. Consider the process of energy loss of a charged particle moving with the speed v in a single encounter with the
electron of a matter. Show that the probability (d) for the energy loss E' in the interval dE' is proportional to
.

1
*12.The specific rate of energy loss (dE/dx) of a 5 MeV proton in silicon is 59 keVmg-1 cm2 and its range R is 50
mgcm-2. Calculate the values of (dE/dx) and range R for deuterons, tritons, 3He and  particles, all of which
have the same speed as the proton. What fraction of its range would the proton have travelled when its energy has
been reduced to half its initial value?

13. A 10-MeV  particle has a specific rate of energy loss of 233 keVmg -1cm2 in silicon. Estimate using the Bethe-
Bloch formula, the specific rates of energy loss for a proton, deuteron and 3He nucleus, each with the same initial
energy as the  particle. Use the relative masses of proton, deuteron, 3He and  particle: 1, 2, 3, 4, respectively.
[Ans: 20, 35, 189 keVmg-1cm2]
14. Use the relativistic kinematics to find the relation between the energy of the Compton scattered photon as a
function of the scattering angle and the energy of the incoming photon.

15. Using the relativistic mechanics, show that the photoelectric interaction of the photon cannot occur with the free
electron.

*16.What is the maximum energy a  ray can have after being Compton scattered through 180 (backscattering)?

17. Use the Nishina-Klein formula for the differential Compton scattering cross section to find the approximate
values of total cross section in the range of low energy (ℎ ≪ ) and high energy (ℎ ≫ ) photon.

*18. (i) In the context of Bremsstrahlung process, define the radiation length.
(ii) In the process of interaction of high energy photon with matter, electron-photon shower is created. Show that
the maximum number of particles produced is roughly E0/Ec, where E0 and Ec are the incident photon energy
and critical energy, respectively.

19. The slowing down of fast neutrons is known as moderation. Using the non-relativistic kinematics for the elastic
scattering, show that the process is most efficiently done when light mass (hydrogenous) material is used as the
moderator.

*20.A resonance in the reaction 6Li(n, )t occurs at the neutron bombarding energy of 244.5 keV. Calculate the
excitation energy of the resonance state in compound nucleus 7Li.

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Useful data:
 1fm = 10-15 m = 10-13cm
 1barn = 10-28m2
1
 1 a.m.u. = [mass of 12C atom]
12
= 1.6606 x 10-27 kg
= 931.5 MeV/c2
 Mass of a neutron = 939.57 MeV/c2
= 1.0087 a.m.u.
 0.14  2
 Mass of a proton = 939.57 1   MeV/c
 100 
= 938.25 = 1.0072 a.m.u.
  = 6.582 x 10-22 MeVsec

 c  197.32 MeVfm