Setting the Jets

I intimated in my "Angels and Demons" post that I would go further in explaining what a 3-jet event was.

I have been so preoccupied lately I have not had a chance until now.

A "3-Jet event" happens only at CERN and it occurs when particles of matter (protons, the basic building block of matter) collide head-on with anti-protons (their complete opposite).

Both are produced at CERN and when you put them together anyway, a lot of energy is released (according quite correctly to E=mc2). All mass is converted to energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation (light to you and me).

However, CERN make these particles come together at near light-speed, so there is a lot more energy available to do things with.

The most important is that the energy is so great, that it is easier to create new matter (via E=mc2) than to continue being just "radiation". In the same way it is easier for a rubber band to "snap" then to keep being stretched.

What happens? New particles are created, and they run away from the creation point at 180 degrees from each other. Why? The reason is to conserve momentum, as the initial momentum is zero, so must the final momentum be.

That is a 2-Jet event, sprays of particles run away from each other at diametrically opposed angles.

But SOMETIMES there are THREE.

Conservation of momentum aside, how in ATLAS could there be three?

Three-jet events occur because there is something else happening. Something which PROVES that quarks do exist, and harbour the true nature of the strong force.

Am I going to explain just exactly what it is that is happening in a 3-Jet event?

Not just yet....

You need to know a little more about basic electromagnetism first.....

...and THAT, I will leave to the next post on this so interesting a subject.

Hasta la Vista, Babee.