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    Conserved Quantities: An Overview: Project PHYSNET Physics Bldg. Michigan State University East Lansing, MI

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    Epic Win
    This document provides an overview of conserved quantities in elementary particle interactions. It defines what is meant by a "conserved quantity" and explains that the quantities conserved depend on the type of interaction. There are seven universally conserved quantities for all interactions, including energy, momentum, charge, and baryon number. Electromagnetic and strong interactions conserve additional properties like parity and strangeness. Only the universal quantities are conserved for weak interactions, though some evidence suggests weak interactions may actually involve two separate forces.

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    Conserved Quantities: An Overview: Project PHYSNET Physics Bldg. Michigan State University East Lansing, MI

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    Epic Win
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    This document provides an overview of conserved quantities in elementary particle interactions. It defines what is meant by a "conserved quantity" and explains that the quantities conserved depend on the type of interaction. There are seven universally conserved quantities for all interactions, including energy, momentum, charge, and baryon number. Electromagnetic and strong interactions conserve additional properties like parity and strangeness. Only the universal quantities are conserved for weak interactions, though some evidence suggests weak interactions may actually involve two separate forces.

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    This document provides an overview of conserved quantities in elementary particle interactions. It defines what is meant by a "conserved quantity" and explains that the quantities conserved depend on the type of interaction. There are seven universally conserved quantities for all interactions, including energy, momentum, charge, and baryon number. Electromagnetic and strong interactions conserve additional properties like parity and strangeness. Only the universal quantities are conserved for weak interactions, though some evidence suggests weak interactions may actually involve two separate forces.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    8 views4 pages

    Conserved Quantities: An Overview: Project PHYSNET Physics Bldg. Michigan State University East Lansing, MI

    Uploaded by

    Epic Win
    This document provides an overview of conserved quantities in elementary particle interactions. It defines what is meant by a "conserved quantity" and explains that the quantities conserved depend on the type of interaction. There are seven universally conserved quantities for all interactions, including energy, momentum, charge, and baryon number. Electromagnetic and strong interactions conserve additional properties like parity and strangeness. Only the universal quantities are conserved for weak interactions, though some evidence suggests weak interactions may actually involve two separate forces.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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    of 4

    MISN-0-275

    CONSERVED QUANTITIES: AN OVERVIEW


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    CONSERVED QUANTITIES: AN OVERVIEW by J. Christman, U. Coast Guard Academy

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    1. Introduction a. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 b. Denition of Conserved Quantity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 c. Quantities Conserved Depend on Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 d. Correlation With Interaction Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2. Assigned Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

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    3. Universally Conserved Quantities a. List of Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 b. Intrinsic vs. Dynamic Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 c. CPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 4. Properties Conserved by Each Interaction a. Weak Force: Only Universal Quantities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 b. EM and Strong Forces: Additional Constraints . . . . . . . . . . 3 c. Time Reversal Indicates Two Weak Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

    Project PHYSNET Physics Bldg. Michigan State University East Lansing, MI

    ID Sheet: MISN-0-275 THIS IS A DEVELOPMENTAL-STAGE PUBLICATION OF PROJECT PHYSNET The goal of our project is to assist a network of educators and scientists in transferring physics from one person to another. We support manuscript processing and distribution, along with communication and information systems. We also work with employers to identify basic scientic skills as well as physics topics that are needed in science and technology. A number of our publications are aimed at assisting users in acquiring such skills. Our publications are designed: (i) to be updated quickly in response to eld tests and new scientic developments; (ii) to be used in both classroom and professional settings; (iii) to show the prerequisite dependencies existing among the various chunks of physics knowledge and skill, as a guide both to mental organization and to use of the materials; and (iv) to be adapted quickly to specic user needs ranging from single-skill instruction to complete custom textbooks. New authors, reviewers and eld testers are welcome. PROJECT STAFF Andrew Schnepp Eugene Kales Peter Signell Webmaster Graphics Project Director

    Title: Conserved Quantities: An Overview Author: J.R. Christman, Dept. of Physical Science, U. S. Coast Guard Acad., New London, CT Version: 2/1/2000 Length: 2 hr; 8 pages Input Skills: 1. Vocabulary: conservation law (MISN-0-15). 2. State the family and family group to which a given strong-stable particle belongs (MISN-0-274). Output Skills (Knowledge): K1. Explain what is meant when an elementary-particle quantity is said to be conserved and when it is said to be universally conserved. K2. List the names of all the quantities which may be conserved in elementary particle interactions. K3. For each type of elementary particle interaction, list the conserved quantities. External Resources (Required): 1. K. W. Ford, Classical and Modern Physics, Vol. 1, John Wiley and Sons (1972). Post-Options: 1. Universally Conserved Quantities in Elementary Particle Interactions (MISN-0-276). 2. Additional Properties Conserved in Electromagnetic and Strong Interactons (MISN-0-277). Evaluation: Stage B1

    ADVISORY COMMITTEE D. Alan Bromley E. Leonard Jossem A. A. Strassenburg Yale University The Ohio State University S. U. N. Y., Stony Brook

    Views expressed in a module are those of the module author(s) and are not necessarily those of other project participants. c 2001, Peter Signell for Project PHYSNET, Physics-Astronomy Bldg., Mich. State Univ., E. Lansing, MI 48824; (517) 355-3784. For our liberal use policies see: http://www.physnet.org/home/modules/license.html.

    MISN-0-275

    MISN-0-275

    CONSERVED QUANTITIES: AN OVERVIEW by J. Christman, U. Coast Guard Academy 1. Introduction


    1a. Overview. Certain particle properties are conserved in interactions and decays. The purpose of this unit is to enumerate such properties and to discuss conservation laws in a general way. Details of the properties are discussed elsewhere.1 1b. Denition of Conserved Quantity. . Here is the meaning of conserved property in a particle interaction or decay: A number representing the property can be assigned to each particle entering the interaction and to each particle produced by the interaction. There exists a scheme for calculating the total amount of the property both for particles entering and for particles leaving the interaction. If the entering total and leaving total are the same, the property is said to be conserved. 1c. Quantities Conserved Depend on Interaction. The list of properties which are conserved is characteristic of the type of interaction. Those properties which are conserved in all 4 types of interaction are called universally conserved quantities. In addition, there is a property which is conserved in strong interactions but not in the others, and there are properties which are conserved in electromagnetic interactions but not in weak ones. 1d. Correlation With Interaction Strength. It is interesting, but perhaps coincidental, that if a property is conserved by one type of interaction it is conserved by all stronger interactions. That is, the list of conserved properties for the electromagnetic interaction contains all those on the list for the weak interaction plus four others and the list for the strong interaction includes all those for the electromagnetic in1 Universally Conserved Quantities in Elementary Particle Interactions (MISN-0276). Also see Reference 3.

    teraction plus one other. Little experimental information exists for the gravitational interaction.

    2. Assigned Reading
    Sections 4.1 through 4.7 in K.W. Fords Classical and Modern Physics, Vol. 1, John Wiley and Sons, NYC (1972), on reserve for you in the PA Library: Ask for the readings for Unit 275.

    3. Universally Conserved Quantities


    3a. List of Properties. These quantities are universally conserved in elementary particle interactions:2 a. energy b. linear momentum c. angular momentum d. electric charge e. baryon number f. electron-muon-tauon number. g. lepton number In special relativity, energy becomes the fourth component of the (now four-dimensional) momentum vector. Conservation of this fourmomentum implies conservation of both energy and momentum. 3b. Intrinsic vs. Dynamic Properties. The last four properties in Sect. 3a, items d-g, are intrinsic properties of the particle. The rst three, items a-c, depend on the dynamical situation. For example, electrons may have dierent momenta, depending on the extent to which they have been accelerated, but all electrons have the same charge, baryon number, electron number, muon number, tauon number, and lepton number.
    2 Older references may have lists of conserved quantities that are obsolete and hence dier from the up-to-date list given here.

    MISN-0-275

    MISN-0-275

    3c. CPT. There is another quantity, called CPT, which is believed to be universally conserved. This quantity is the product of the quantities for charge conjugation invariance (C), parity invariance (P), and time reversal invariance (T). The meaning of C, P, and T are discussed elsewhere.3

    tion of this module was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, Division of Science Education Development and Research, through Grant #SED 74-20088 to Michigan State University.

    4. Properties Conserved by Each Interaction


    4a. Weak Force: Only Universal Quantities. All of the universal quantities listed in Sect. 3a are conserved by the weak interaction. With the exceptions noted in Sections 3c and 4c, no other known quantities are conserved by the weak interaction. 4b. EM and Strong Forces: Additional Constraints. In addition to the seven universal properties, these properties are also conserved by the electromagnetic interaction: h. parity i. strangeness j. charge conjugation k. time reversal In addition to the above listed properties, the strong interaction also conserves a quantity called isospin. 4c. Time Reversal Indicates Two Weak Forces. Eects which stem from the violation of time reversal invariance by the weak interaction are roughly one-thousandth as strong as the more usual eects of the weak interaction. This has led some physicists to believe that the force which has been traditionally called the weak interaction is, in reality, two forces, the stronger of which is time reversal invariant and the weaker of which is not. This super weak force, if it exists, is a fth force of nature. Here we do not make a distinction between these two weak forces.

    Acknowledgments
    Preparation of this module was supported in part by the United States Coast Guard Academy for a Directed Studies Program. Prepara3 Additional Properties Conserved in Electromagnetic and Strong Interactions (MISN-0-277).

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