8. (R8M.9) Suppose that in a certain particle physics experiment, a particle of mass mo moving with speed vā in the +x direction in the laboratory frame is observed to decay into two particles, one with mass mā moving with speed vā in the +x direction and another with mass mā that is essentially at rest.
(a) Show that if total particle mass and Newtonian momentum are conserved in the laboratory frame, then we must have mā = mo and mā = 1/mo.
(b) Show that if four-momentum is to be conserved in the laboratory frame, we must have mā = mo and mā = mo (note that this decay converts some mass energy to kinetic energy if conservation of four-momentum is true).
(c) Consider now an inertial reference frame (the Other Frame) that moves with the same speed in the +x direction as the initial particle. Use the Einstein velocity transformation equations:
vā' = (vā - vā)/(1 - (vāvā/c²))
vā' = (vā - vā)/(1 - (vāvā/c²))
to show that the particles' x-velocities in this frame must be vā' = 0 and vā' = -ā(3/5).
(d) Show that if we use the outgoing particle masses that ensure that Newtonian momentum and particle mass are conserved in the laboratory frame [see part (a)], then Newtonian momentum is not conserved in the Other Frame.
(e) Show that if we use the masses that ensure that four-momentum is conserved in the laboratory frame [see part (b)], we find that four-momentum is conserved in the Other Frame.