A proton (1.6726 × 10−27 kg) and a neutron (1.6749 × 10−27 kg) at rest combine to form a deuteron, the nucleus of deuterium or “heavy hydrogen.” In this process, a gamma ray (highenergy photon) is...

A proton (1.6726 × 10−27 kg) and a neutron (1.6749 × 10−27 kg) at rest combine to form a deuteron, the nucleus of

deuterium or “heavy hydrogen.” In this process, a gamma ray (highenergy photon) is emitted, and its energy is measured to

be 2.2 MeV (2.2 × 106 eV).

(a) Keeping all five significant figures, what is the mass of the deuteron? Assume that you can neglect the small kinetic

energy of the recoiling deuteron.

(b) Momentum must be conserved, so the deuteron must recoil with momentum equal and opposite to the momentum of

the gamma ray. Calculate approximately the kinetic energy of the recoiling deuteron and show that it is indeed

small compared to the energy of the gamma ray.