Transverse radiative capture with equal opposite speeds
ID: transverse-radiative-capture-with-equal-opposite-speeds
Two particles with unequal rest energies and equal opposite velocities have total energy but nonzero total momentum. If they form a composite while emitting a photon transverse to their initial axis, the final composite rest energy satisfies the displayed identity. It follows by squaring the residual four-momentum. Neglecting binding, put ; the minimum incoming energy is , where . An exact threshold requires the composite rest mass, not just the incoming constituent masses.
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