antimatter

Also known as anti-matter

thumb|A cloud chamber photograph of the first observed [[positron, 2 August 1932]]

AI overview

Antimatter is a form of matter composed of particles that are identical to ordinary matter particles except they have opposite electrical charges. When antimatter comes into contact with regular matter, the two annihilate each other and release enormous amounts of energy, which is why scientists study it to understand the fundamental nature of the universe and explore potential energy sources.

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Image: ElectronPositronAnnihilation.svg

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Commons category: Antimatter
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~32 min read

Article

24 sections

Contents

Definitions
History
Conceptual
Particle discoveries
Antigalaxies
Notation
Properties
Origin and asymmetry
Natural production
Observation in cosmic rays
Artificial production
Positrons
Antiprotons, antineutrons, and antinuclei
Antihydrogen atoms
Antihelium
Preservation
Cost
Uses
Medical
Weapons
See also
References
Further reading
External links

thumb|A cloud chamber photograph of the first observed [[positron, 2 August 1932]]

In modern physics, antimatter is defined as matter composed of the antiparticles (or "partners") of the corresponding particles in "ordinary" matter, and can be thought of as matter with reversed charge and parity, or going backward in time (see CPT symmetry). Antimatter occurs in natural processes like cosmic ray collisions and some types of radioactive decay, but only a tiny fraction of these have successfully been bound together in experiments to form antiatoms. Minuscule numbers of antiparticles can be generated at particle accelerators, but total artificial production has been only a few nanograms. No macroscopic amount of antimatter has ever been assembled due to the extreme cost and difficulty of production and handling. Nonetheless, antimatter is an essential component of widely available applications related to beta decay, such as positron emission tomography, radiation therapy, and industrial imaging.