4 ms·
> In the past, physicists assumed that new particles produced in particle collisions would decay immediately, almost precisely at their points of origin. But w
by werkinprogress 10y ago
> In the past, physicists assumed that new particles produced in particle collisions would decay immediately, almost precisely at their points of origin.
But wouldn't missing energy be evident?
- krastanov 10y agoThe missing energy is evident indeed, but this is not the point. You usually use the missing energy as a proof of a neutral particle, not a fast decaying particle. And you can not say what that neutral particle was because you did not measure anything about it. More importantly, the particle we are considering, the one that decays really fast, near the origin, will decay into other particles, and those can be detected.
- werkinprogress 10y agoIf the new resultant particle(s) don't decay immediately near the collision why wouldn't their missing energy be evident?