antimatter
Sign in to savethumb|A cloud chamber photograph of the first observed [[positron, 2 August 1932]]
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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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Article
24 sectionsContents
- 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.