E5 Kern- und Teilchenphysik

WiSe 22/23 – Sheet 6 with solutions

Discussion: 16.01.2023 bis 20.01.2023

1. Form factor and average quadratic radius of nuclei with spheric charge distribution
Consider a nucleus with spherical charge density distribution f (r) = 1
Z·e · %(r). Show

(a) that the form factor is given by

Z
4πh̄  qr 
F (q) = %(r) sin rdr.
Zeq h̄

Do this by calculating F (~q) = f (~r)ei~q~r/h̄ dV without using a Taylor series

R

(b) that the derivative dF (q)/dq 2 for q = 0 is given by

dF (q) hr2 i
2
|q=0 = − 2 .
dq 6h̄
Hint: Determine the Taylor series of the result from exercise 1a around q = 0.
(c) In the last attendance exercise we showed that the mean square radius hr2 i of a nucleus with
Gaussian charge distribution is given by 3/a2 . Calculate hr2 i again using the result of exercise 1b,
that is using the gradient of the form factor
!
q2
F (q) = exp − 2 2
2a h̄

at q = 0.

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Solution:

(a)
Z
1
F (~q) = ρ(~r)ei~q~r/h̄ dV
Ze

use spheric charge distribution:

- nucleus at the origin
- ~q points in direction of z-axis

Z
1
F (q) = ρ(r)eiqr cos ϑ/h̄ r2 sin ϑdϕdϑdr
Ze

d cos ϑ d cos ϑ
with = − sin ϑ ⇔ dϑ = −
dϑ sin ϑ

Z
2π
=− ρ(r)eiqr cos ϑ/h̄ r2 d cos ϑdr
Ze
Z
2π h̄ h iqr cos ϑ/h̄ iπ
=− ρ(r)r2 e dr
Ze iqr 0
Z
2π h̄  −iqr/h̄ 
=− ρ(r)r2 e − eiqr/h̄ dr
Ze iqr
1  ix 
with sin x = e − e−ix folgt
2i
Z
2π 2h̄  qr 
= ρ(r)r2 sin dr
Ze qr h̄
Z
4πh̄  qr 
= ρ(r)r sin dr
Zeq h̄

For spheric charge distribution F (q) oscillates in case the sin(...) oscillation is not cancelled by a
corresponding term in ρ(r). So F (q) has distinct extrema, the connection with hr2 i is shown in
part (b).

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(b) For the Taylor expansion of sin around x = 0 follows:

x3
sin x ≈ x −
3!
Therefore for F (q) follows:

!
qr q 3 r3
Z
4πh̄
F (q) = ρ(r)r − dr
Zeq h̄ 6h̄3
!
r2 q2 r4
Z Z
4πh̄
= ρ(r) dr − ρ(r) 3 dr
Ze h̄ 6h̄

Z
dF (q) 4πh̄ 1
⇒ =− ρ(r)r2 · r2 dr
dq 2 Ze 6h̄3
Z
1 1
= − 2 4π r2 ρ(r) · r2 dr
6h̄ Z Ze
1 2
= − 2 r f (r)dV
6h̄
hr2 i
=− 2
6h̄

(c)

dF (q)
hr2 i = − 6h̄2
dq 2
" !#
2 1 q2
= − 6h̄ · − exp −
2a2 h̄2 2a2 h̄2 q=0
3
=
a2

compare with exercise 5: hr2 i from charge distribution.

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WiSe 22/23 – Sheet 6 with solutions

2. Kinematics of electron–nucleon scattering

An electron with energy E = 25 GeV is scattered on a resting proton in an angle of θ = 10◦ . We neglect
the electron mass.

• Elastic scattering:
(a) Sketch the diagram of the scattering process including incoming, outgoing and exchange
particles. Define the corresponding four-vectors in the diagram (including momentum vectors)
(b) Show that for elastic scattering the energy of the scattered electron is given by
E 0 = E/[1 + E 2 (1 − cos θ)] (proton mass mp = 938 MeV/c2 ).
mp c
Calculate E and, with derivation, the four-momentum transfer Q2 .
0

How large is the Bjorken scaling variable x?

• Inelastic scattering:
(c) Sketch the diagram of the scattering process and label the produced hadronic system in the
diagram. Define the four-vector of the hadronic system
(d) Let the energy of the scattered electron be E 0 = 10 GeV.
Calculate Q2 and, with derivation, the invariant mass of the hadronic system.
Calculate the Bjorken scaling variable x.

Solution:

(a) Definition of the four-momenta as

p = ( Ec , ~k) : incoming electron,
0
p0 = ( Ec , p~0 ) : outgoing electron,
q = p − p0 = ( νc , ~q) : exchanged photon,
P = (M c, 0, 0, 0) : proton at rest,
0
P0 = ( p , P~ 0 ) : outgoing proton
E
c

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(b) p + P = p0 + P0 ⇒ pP = p0 P0
0
⇔ EM = p0 (P + p − p0 ) = E 0 M + EE
2 (1 − cos θ) − m2e c2
c
me ≈0
⇒ E 0 = E/[1 + E
2 (1 − cos θ)] = 17.8 GeV
mp c
0 0
Q2 = −q2 = −(p − p0 )2 = −2m2e c2 + 2EE
2 (1 − cos θ) = 2EE
2 (1 − cos θ) = 13.5 GeV2 /c2
c c
x = 1, for elastic scattering

(c) Sketch as in a) but with a hadronic system made of multiple particles instead of a scattered proton

0
(d) as in b): Q2 = 2EE
2 (1 − cos θ) = 7.60 GeV2 /c2
c
2
W 2 c2 = P0 = (P + q)2 = m2p c2 − Q2 + 2mp (E − E 0 )
therefore W = 4.63 GeV/c2
2
Q
x= 0 = 0.270
2M (E−E )

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3. Deep inelastic scattering at HERA

At the HERA collider, deep inelastic scattering between electrons and protons was investigated.
Electrons with energy of E = 27.6 GeV collide head-on with protons of energy Ep = 920 GeV.

(a) Calculate the center-of-mass energy. Can you neglect particle masses? What energy is required for
an electron beam hitting a stationary proton target to attain the same center-of-mass energy?
(b) In Exercise 2 you derived an expression for the four-momentum-transfer Q2 that depends on
kinematic quantities of the electron only. In some kinematic regions, it may be useful to instead
express Q2 in terms of other quantities with smaller measurement uncertainties. Derive an
expression for Q2 that depends on the scattering angles of the electron θ and of the scattered
quark γ. The latter can be determined experimentally from the measured energies and momenta
of the produced hadrons.
Tipp: Start from the equations for energy and momentum conservation, separately for the
transverse and longitudinal momentum. Furthermore sin (x − y) = sin (x) cos (y) − cos (x) sin (y).
(c) What is the maximal value for the four-momentum transfer Q2 at HERA? What values of Q2 can
be attained at a fixed-target experiment with a beam energy of 300 GeV? What spatial resolution
of the proton does this correspond to?
(d) Calculate the kinematic region in Q2 , accessible with the ZEUS-Calorimeter which covers angles
between 7◦ and 178◦ for the scattered electron. Only scattered electrons with energies of at least
5 GeV can be detected. Extra task: which range in the Bjorken scaling variable x is covered?

Source: Povh et. al. Teilchen und Kerne

Solution:

(a) Center-of-mass energy in electron-proton collision given by:

s = (pp c + pe c)2 = m2p c4 + m2e c4 + 2(Ep Ee − pp · pe c2 ) ≈ 4Ee Ep

√
⇒ sHERA ≈ 319 GeV,

where we neglect the particle masses due to m  E/c2 ≈ |p|/c. For a stationary proton target
Ep = mp c2 , pp = 0 and we find

s ≈ 2mp Ee c2
s
⇒ Ee ≈ = 54 TeV
2mp c2

for the same center-of-mass energy.

(b) We look at electron-quark scattering e(Ee ) + q(xEp ) → e(Ee0 ) + q(Eq0 ). Energy-momentum
conservation gives
i. Energy: Ee + xEp = Ee0 + Eq0
ii. Transverse Mom.: Ee0 sin (θ)/c = Eq0 sin (γ)/c
iii. Longitudinal Mom.: (xEp − Ee )/c = Eq0 cos (γ) − Ee0 cos (θ) /c.
 

Using these, we aim to express Ee0 as a function of Ee , θ, γ. We start from rewriting (i) as

xEp − Ee
Ee0 = c + 2Ee − Eq0 .
c

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Plugging in (iii), we find

Ee0 = Eq0 cos (γ) − Ee0 cos (θ) + 2Ee − Eq0

 

= Eq0 [cos (γ) − 1] − Ee0 cos (θ) + 2Ee

sin (θ)
= Ee0 [cos (γ) − 1] − Ee0 cos (θ) + 2Ee ,
sin (γ)
where we used (ii) in the last step. Collecting all terms, we find
2Ee sin (γ)
Ee0 =
sin (γ) + sin (θ) + cos (θ) sin (γ) − sin (θ) cos (γ)
2Ee sin (γ)
= ,
sin (γ) + sin (θ) + sin (γ − θ)
0
using the given trigonometric identity. Plugging Ee0 into Q2 = 2Ee Ee
2 (1 − cos θ) (as found in
c
Exercise 2), we finally find

4Ee2 sin (γ) [1 − cos (θ)]

Q2 = .
[sin (γ) + sin (θ) + sin (γ − θ)] c2
Experimentally, the scattering angle of the scattered quark γ can be determined through the
averaged energy-weighted angles of the produced hadrons
P
E cos (γi )
cos (γ) = i Pi .
i Ei

(c) The maximal value for Q2 is obtained for elastic backward-scattering of the electrons where
Q2 = s/c2 . For the collider scenario at HERA the proton transfers all of its energy to the electron
and
Q2max = 4Ee Ee0 /c2 = 4Ee Ep /c2 = s/c2 ≈ 105 (GeV/c)2 .
For a stationary proton target we get

Q2max = s/c2 = 2Ee mp ≈ 560 (GeV/c)2 .

Note: Q2max = s/c2 holds for ultra relativistic collisions where we can neglect the particle masses:
x=1,y=1 Pq
Q2 = 2xyP k → Q2max = 2P k with y = (see lecture)
Pk
2 2 2
2P k(mp +me )c
s/c2 = (P + k)2 = P 2 + k 2 + 2P k ≈ 2P k = Q2max

The theoretically attainable spatial resolutions are

HERA : ∆x ≈ h̄/Qmax ≈ 0.62 · 10−3 fm

stationary : ∆x ≈ 8.3 · 10−3 fm.

(d) For the minimal and maximal measurable Q2 at ZEUS@HERA, we find

Q2min ≈ 2.1 (GeV/c)2 with Ee0 = 5 GeV, θmin = 7◦

Q2max ≈ 105 (GeV/c)2 with Ee0 = 920 GeV, θmax = 178◦ .

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103 920 GeV

10 1

102 10 2
Ee0 [GeV]

x
10 3

101
5 GeV 10 4

10 5
100
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0

Abbildung 1: x (color) vs Ee0 and θ for x ≤ 1 and 7◦ ≤ θ ≤ 178◦ , using Eq. 1.

2
To find the covered range in x = 2P
Q
q we use expression found in the previous exercise for Q and
2

for P q we plug in the 4-momentum of the proton and the 4-momentum transfer in the lab frame
(Note: P q = M ν = M (E − E 0 ) only holds in the rest frame of the proton)

Ee − Ee0
   
Ep
1 0  ···  = 1 Ep (Ee − Ee0 ) + Ep (Ee − Ee0 cos θ)


Pq = 2 ·  ·
2
c  0   ···  c
Ep −(Ee − Ee0 cos θ)
1
= 2 2Ep Ee − Ep Ee0 (1 − cos θ)


c

again neglecting the particle masses. From this we get

Ee Ee0 (1 − cos θ)
x= (1)
2Ep Ee − Ep Ee0 (1 + cos θ)

and therefore

xmin ≈ 2.5 · 10−5 with θmin = 7◦ , Ee,min

0
= 5 GeV
xmax ≈ 1 with θmax = 178◦ , Ee,max
0
= 920 GeV

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