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Does special relativity predict the possibility of particle creation? Is it due to the relativistic energy-momentum dispersion $$E^{2}=m^{2}c^{4}+p^{2}c^{2}$$ which shows that mass is simply a form of energy, and as such other forms of energy can be converted into mass energy, or equivalently, mass energy can be converted into other forms of energy, implying the possibilities of matter creation and annihilation respectively?

Given this, would it be correct to say that Newtonian mechanics cannot account for matter creation/annihilation since there is a clear distinction between mass and energy in this theory, and hence there is no way to describe such a conversion that would be required to create/annihilate matter?

Feyn_example
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It is the difference between necessary and sufficient. Special Relativity is necessary in order to have the generation of particles from energy, the four vector algebra defines invariant masses for systems of particles which is impossible in Newtonian mechanics, where there is conservation of mass.

It is not a sufficient theory for describing nuclear and particle interactions. Quantum mechanics and quantum number conservation are necessary for building any coherent theoretical model of particle generation and interactions. At the moment the quantum mechanical standard model of particle physics which incorporates special relativity also, is sufficient to describe and predict the overwhelming majority of particle interactions. Nuclear physics has shell models and liquid drop models to phenomenologically fit the data and have a predictive ability.

anna v
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