Available energy (particle collision)

For the concept in classical thermodynamics, see Exergy.

In particle physics, the available energy is the energy in a particle collision available to produce new particles from the energy of the colliding particles.^[1][2]

In early accelerators both colliding particles usually survived after the collision, so the available energy was the total kinetic energy of the colliding particles in the center-of-momentum frame before the collision. In modern accelerators particles collide with their anti-particles and can annihilate, so the available energy includes both the kinetic energy and the rest energy of the colliding particles in the center-of-momentum frame before the collision.^[3]

See also

• Threshold energy
• Matter creation