Pair Production

[Michael Netzer]

In pair production, the emergence of positrons and electrons from a photon striking an atom nucleus, it's calculated that mass-energy equivalence creates the e-e+ from the photon's energy if it's at least 1.022 MeV by applying E=MC^2. I understand the mass of e-e+ and the energy of the photon. But it's not clear to me from what or where C^2 is derived.

 

Where from do we calculate the speed of light squared in the photon's interaction with an atom nucleus?

 

Many thanks in advance for any help.

[ydoaPs]

In pair production, the emergence of positrons and electrons from a photon striking an atom nucleus, it's calculated that mass-energy equivalence creates the e-e+ from the photon's energy if it's at least 1.022 MeV by applying E=MC^2. I understand the mass of e-e+ and the energy of the photon. But it's not clear to me from what or where C^2 is derived.

 

Where from do we calculate the speed of light squared in the photon's interaction with an atom nucleus?

 

Many thanks in advance for any help.

 

c is a constant.

[Michael Netzer]

c is a constant.

 

Thanks, ydoaPs.

Edited October 27, 2009 by Michael Netzer