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Problem44 58

1) The document derives expressions for the velocities (vm and vM) of two masses (m and M) in their center of mass frame after colliding. 2) It then derives an expression for the center of mass velocity (vcm) in terms of the initial velocity (v0) of mass m. 3) Finally, it shows that the total available energy (Ea) in the center of mass frame is equal to the sum of the rest masses of m and M plus their kinetic energy, recovering an earlier equation.

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8 views

Problem44 58

1) The document derives expressions for the velocities (vm and vM) of two masses (m and M) in their center of mass frame after colliding. 2) It then derives an expression for the center of mass velocity (vcm) in terms of the initial velocity (v0) of mass m. 3) Finally, it shows that the total available energy (Ea) in the center of mass frame is equal to the sum of the rest masses of m and M plus their kinetic energy, recovering an earlier equation.

Uploaded by

IENCS
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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v0 − vcm

44.58: a) For mass m, in Eq. (37 .23) u = −vcm , v′ = v0 , and so vm = .


1 − v0 vcm c 2
For mass M , u = −vcm , v ′ = 0, so v M = −vcm . b) The condition for no net momentum in
the center of mass frame is mγm vm + MγM vM = 0, where γm and γM correspond to the
velocities found in part (a). The algebra reduces to βm γm = ( β0 − β ′)γ0 γM , where
v v
β 0 = 0 , = β ′ = cm , and the condition for no net momentum becomes
c c
m( β 0 − β ′) γ 0 γ M =
β0 m mv0
Mβ ′γM , or β ′ = = β0 , and vcm = .
M m + M 1 − β 2
m + M 1 − ( v / c ) 2
1+ 0 0
mγ0
c) Substitution of the above expression into the expressions for the velocities found
in part (a) gives the relatively simple forms

M m
vm = v0 γ0 ,v M = −v0 γ0 .
m + M γ0 mγ0 + M
After some more algebra,
m + Mγ M + mγ0
γm = 0
, γM = , from which
m 2 + M 2 + 2mMγ0 m 2 + M 2 + 2mMγ0
mγ m + Mγ M = m 2 + M 2 + 2mM γ 0 .
This last expression, multiplied by c 2 , is the available energy E a in the center of mass
frame, so that
Ea2 = (m 2 + M 2 + 2mMγ0 )c 4
= (mc 2 )2 + (Mc 2 )2 + ( 2Mc 2 )(mγ0c 2 )
= (mc 2 ) 2 + ( Mc 2 ) 2 + 2Mc 2 Em ,
which is Eq. (44.9).

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