Collisions in a particle accelerator involving some elementary particles

In summary, when an electron is accelerated to collide with an accelerated proton or neutron in a particle accelerator, at high energies it will not directly collide with the entire particle, but with one of its individual partons. This will result in a chaotic reaction, producing a variety of fragments such as pions, partons, photons, Ws, Zs, and muons.
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What would happen if an electron were accelerated in an attempt to collide with an accelerated proton in a particle accelerator?

What would happen in a collision between an electron and a neutron?
 
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Everything. At sufficiently high energy it hardly matters what the original particles were, you'll get all possible fragments in any case, although in different proportions. At high energy the electron won't collide with the proton or neutron as a whole anyway, rather it collides with one of the individual partons (quark or gluon). From then on you'll get the usual chaos: zillions of pions, more partons (which decay into jets), photons, Ws and Zs (which decay into muons)...
 

Related to Collisions in a particle accelerator involving some elementary particles

1) What is a particle accelerator?

A particle accelerator is a scientific instrument that uses electromagnetic fields to accelerate and collide particles at incredibly high speeds in order to study their properties and behavior.

2) What is the purpose of colliding elementary particles in a particle accelerator?

The purpose of colliding elementary particles in a particle accelerator is to recreate the conditions of the early universe and study the fundamental building blocks of matter.

3) How are collisions in a particle accelerator controlled?

Collisions in a particle accelerator are controlled using powerful magnets and electric fields to guide and focus the particles, as well as sophisticated computer algorithms to precisely control their movements.

4) What are some potential risks involved in collisions in a particle accelerator?

Some potential risks involved in collisions in a particle accelerator include radiation exposure and potential damage to the equipment. However, strict safety protocols are in place to minimize these risks.

5) What have scientists learned from studying collisions in a particle accelerator?

Scientists have learned a great deal about the fundamental nature of matter and energy, including the discovery of new particles, the confirmation of the Standard Model of particle physics, and insights into the origins of the universe.

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