50. Massive stars ending their lives in supernova explosions produce the nuclei of all the atoms in the bottom half of the periodic table by fusion of smaller nuclei. This problem roughly models that process. A particle of mass m moving along the x axis with a velocity component +u collides head-on and sticks to a particle of mass m/3 moving along the x axis with the velocity component -u. (a) What is the mass M of the resulting particle? (b) Evaluate
the expression from part (a) in the limit u -- 0. (c) Explain whether the result agrees with what you should expect from nonrelativistic physi

Question

50. Massive stars ending their lives in supernova explosions produce the nuclei of all the atoms in the bottom half of the periodic table by fusion of smaller nuclei. This problem roughly models that process. A particle of mass m moving along the x axis with a velocity component +u collides head-on and sticks to a particle of mass m/3 moving along the x axis with the velocity component -u. (a) What is the mass M of the resulting particle? (b) Evaluate
the expression from part (a) in the limit u --> 0. (c) Explain whether the result agrees with what you should expect from nonrelativistic physi

roadjester · Answer

@LastDayWork

lastdaywork · Answer

@Vincent-Lyon.Fr 
@Mashy 
@broken_symmetry 
@douglaswinslowcooper

anonymous · Answer

What is the mass of the resulting particle.? 
i don't get the question :p.. shouldn't it be m + m/3?

anonymous · Answer

Are we working out invariant mass?

See the attachment, since LaTeX has stopped rendering for me on this website.

It reduces to 4m/3 as u->0

roadjester · Answer

I actually have no idea what invariant mass is. But thanks for the insight.

anonymous · Answer

Invariant mass is the centre of mass energy divided by c^2

It's also the scalar product of 4-momentum with itself.