Keresztmetszetmultiplicitás

Keresztmetszetmultiplicitás, often translated as cross-section multiplicity, is a term used in nuclear physics and particle physics to describe the average number of particles produced in a high-energy collision. When two particles collide at high energies, they can interact and create new particles. The multiplicity quantifies how many of these new particles are typically observed, on average, for a given type of collision and energy.

This concept is crucial for understanding the dynamics of particle interactions. Higher collision energies generally lead to higher multiplicities, as there is more energy available to convert into mass according to Einstein's famous equation, E=mc². The type of particles involved in the collision also influences the multiplicity. For example, collisions involving hadrons, which are composite particles made of quarks and gluons, tend to have higher multiplicities than collisions involving leptons, which are fundamental particles.

Experimental measurements of cross-section multiplicity provide vital data for testing theoretical models of particle interactions, such as Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). These measurements help physicists understand the fundamental forces and particles that make up the universe. The distribution of multiplicities, not just the average, is also studied to gain deeper insights into the underlying physics.