Impossibility of isolated massive-particle decay into one photon

ID: impossibility-of-isolated-massive-particle-decay-into-one-photon

Conservation of four-momentum forbids an isolated massive initial particle from decaying into a single photon: the initial Minkowski norm is , while the final norm would vanish. This argument is independent of inertial frame. A second final particle or external recoil changes the problem because the total final four-momentum need not be null.

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