Chapter 43.9, Problem 1DE

(a) Is the decay possible considering the appropriate conservation laws? State why or why not. (b) Write the decay in terms of the quark constituents of the particles.

(a) Do all particles having strangeness also have at least one strange quark in them? (b) Do all hadrons with a strange quark also have nonzero strangeness?

The K0 meson is an uncharged member of the particle “zoo” that decays into two charged pions according to K0 → π+ + π−. The pions have opposite charges, as indicated, and the same mass, mπ = 140 MeV/c2. Suppose that a K0 at rest decays into two pions in a bubble chamber in which a magnetic field of 2.0 T is present (see Fig. P2.22). If the radius of curvature of the pions is 34.4 cm, find (a) the momenta and speeds of the pions and (b) the mass of the K0 meson.