7. Non-elastic processes

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  • The situation concerning the elastic behavior during collisions was already discussed at length in chapter 6. The analysis of non-elastic processes is also of great importance for further considerations and shall now be examined in detail. At first the non-elastic collision will be scrutinized, where during the experimental situation two or more bodies are combined and an energy-absorption takes place. The reversing effect is observed during particle disintegration; in this case kinetic energy is set free because of conversion of mass into energy and carried away by the decay products. Non-elastic collision and particle disintegration can thus be interpreted as complementary processes.

    The section 7.1 (Relativistic non-elastic collision) requires numerical calculation.

  •         7.1   Annex D