Electron - Positron Annihilation

K γ
µ
Z

− − − + + +
− − − + + +
− − − + +
− +
− − − +
+ + +

W ν
h π

D. Schroeder, 29 October 2002

 OUTLINE
• Electron-positron storage rings
• Detectors
• Reaction examples
e+ e− −→ e+ e−
[Inventory of known particles]
e+ e− −→ µ+ µ−
e+ e− −→ q q̄
e+ e− −→ W + W −
• The future: Linear colliders
 Electron-Positron Colliders
Hamburg Novosibirsk
11 GeV 12 GeV
47 GeV

Geneva
200 GeV
Ithaca Tokyo
Stanford 12 GeV 64 GeV
8 GeV 12 GeV
30 GeV
100 GeV Beijing
12 GeV 4 GeV
 Size (R) and Cost ($) of an e+ e− Storage Ring

β E4
$ = αR + ( E = beam energy)
R

d$ β E4
Find minimum $: 0 = = α −
dR R2

β 2 
=⇒ R = E , $ = 2 αβ E 2
α

SPEAR: E = 8 GeV, R = 40 m, $ = 5 million

LEP: E = 200 GeV, R = 4.3 km, $ = 1 billion
 + − + −
Example 1: e e −→ e e e−
total momentum = 0 θ

total energy = 2E e− e+
Probability(E,θ) = ? e+

E-dependence follows from dimensional analysis:

density = ρ− A density = ρ+
     
− +
Probability = (ρ− ρ+ − + A) × (something with units of length2 )
h̄ h̄c
When E  me , the only relevant length is =
p E
1
=⇒ Probability ∝
E2
 at SPEAR
Augustin, et al., PRL 34, 233 (1975)

6000

5000
Number of Counts

4000 Ecm = 4.8 GeV

3000

2000

1000 Theory

0
−0.8 −0.4 0 0.4 0.8
cos θ
Prediction for e+ e− −→ e+ e− event rate (H. J. Bhabha, 1935):
   θ θ 
event dσ e 4 1 + cos4 2 cos4 2
1 + cos θ
∝ = 2
− 2
+
rate dΩ 32π 2 Ecm
2
sin4 θ
2 sin2 θ
2
2

Interpretation of Bhabha’s formula (R. P. Feynman, 1949):

e−
e+ e− e+ 2

= (const.) × +

e− e+ e− e+

Each diagram represents a complex number that depends on E and θ.

Each vertex represents a factor of the electron’s charge, e = −0.303.
Feynman Rules (neglecting spin, h̄ = c = 1)

p3 p4

eip3 ·x eip4 ·y

e e
x  y
d4 q e iq·(x−y)
e−ip1 ·x (2π)4 q2 e−ip2 ·y

p1 p2

Multiply pieces together, integrate over x and y . . .

 Higher-Order Diagrams

+ + + + +

any charged particle!

(“vacuum polarization”)

Also: + + + +

More vertices =⇒ more factors of e =⇒ smaller value

 It Works!
M. Derrick, et al., Phys. Rev. D34, 3286 (1986)

250

HRS Collaboration (SLAC)

200 Ecm = 29 GeV
s dσ/dΩ (GeV2 nb/sr)

tree-level
150
no vacuum polarization
full radiative corrections

100

50

0
−0.4 −0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6
cos θ
 THE PERIODIC TABLE
Leptons Quarks (each in 3 “colors”)




e νe d u



 0.511 MeV < 0.000003 7 3
Particles like 

the electron

µ νµ s c
(fermions, spin 1/2) 



106 < 0.2 120 1200



 τ ντ b t
1777 < 20 4300 175,000
−1 0 −1/3 2/3 ← charge





γ photon “electromagnetism”




0
Particles like 

the photon  g gluon
“strong interaction”

 0 (8 “colors”)
(bosons, spin 1) 




 ± 0
W
80,420
Z
91,188
“weak interaction”

(Gravity is negligible.)
Example 2: e+ e− −→ µ+ µ−

Only one diagram:

µ− µ+ 2

e4  
= (const.) × 2 1 + cos θ
2
E

e− e+

(Same as third term in Bhabha formula, provided that E  mµ .)

 + −
Example 3: e e −→ q q̄ −→ hadrons
π0 K0
+ K−


π u ū d s̄
d¯ s


u ū
gluon d π0

↑
d¯ 

3 |e|
2

e− ↑ e+

For 10 GeV < Ecm < 40 GeV,

+ −
          
e e → hadrons 1 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 2
− −
= 3× + + + +
e e →µ µ
+ + 3 3 3 3 3
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
colors d u s c b
 R = σ(hadrons)/σ(µ+ µ− )
7
J/ψ ψ(2S) Υ(1S, 2S, 3S)
6

4
b
3
c
2

1 d+u+s
0
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 30 40
Ecm (GeV)
Example 3(b): e+ e− −→ Z 0 −→ q q̄

q q̄

0
1
Z 2 − m2
Ecm Z

e− e+

Higher-order diagrams turn ∞ into smooth resonance curve.

 35

30
OPAL
Total Hadronic Cross-Section (nbarn)
25

20

15

10

0
87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96
Center-of-Mass Energy (GeV)
Example 4: e+ e− −→ W + W −

W− W+ W− W+ W− W+

+ γ + Z0
νe

e− e+ e− e+ e− e+

Requires Ecm > 2mW = 160 GeV

 08/07/2001

LEP Preliminary
20

15
[pb]

10

Full theory
no ZWW vertex
5 exchange

0
160 170 180 190 200 210
Ecm [GeV]
• Direct measurement of mW can be compared to indirect measurements:
µ− u νµ ν¯e e−

W W
νµ d µ−
• Corrections from higher-order diagrams must be included,
t
especially:
b
• Results disagree, typically by ∼ 1%!
• Simplest solution: new spin-0 “Higgs” particle, mh ∼
< 200 GeV

h0

W
> 1000 GeV)
(Also needed to avoid nonsensical predictions at E ∼
 Looking for the Higgs Particle(s)
• Tevatron (Fermilab, Chicago): pp̄, Ecm = 2000 GeV

• Large Hadron Collider (CERN, Geneva): pp, Ecm = 14, 000 GeV, 2007

Discovery likely! Detailed study difficult.

• e+ e− storage ring, Ecm = 500+ GeV? Too big, too expensive.

• e+ e− linear collider

Z0 h0 h0
νe ν¯e

Z0
W W

e− e+ e− e+
 The Next Linear Collider

+ −
e e

20 - 30 km
 Suggested Reading

• Feynman, QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter

• Barnett, et al., The Charm of Strange Quarks

• Riordan, The Hunting of the Quark

• ParticleAdventure.org

• physics.weber.edu/schroeder/feynman/