Positron
Anti-particle to the electron / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Positron?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
SHOW ALL QUESTIONS
For other uses, see Positron (disambiguation).
The positron or antielectron is the particle with an electric charge of +1e, a spin of 1/2 (the same as the electron), and the same mass as an electron. It is the antiparticle (antimatter counterpart) of the electron. When a positron collides with an electron, annihilation occurs. If this collision occurs at low energies, it results in the production of two or more photons.
Quick Facts Composition, Statistics ...
Composition | Elementary particle |
---|---|
Statistics | Fermionic |
Generation | First |
Interactions | Gravity, electromagnetic, weak |
Symbol | e+ , β+ |
Antiparticle | Electron |
Theorized | Paul Dirac (1928) |
Discovered | Carl D. Anderson (1932) |
Mass | me 9.1093837015(28)×10−31 kg[1] 5.48579909065(16)×10−4 Da[2] 0.51099895000(15) MeV/c2[3] |
Mean lifetime | stable (same as electron) |
Electric charge | +1 e +1.602176634×10−19 C[4] |
Spin | 1/2 ħ (same as electron) |
Weak isospin | LH: 0, RH: 1/2 |
Close
Positrons can be created by positron emission radioactive decay (through weak interactions), or by pair production from a sufficiently energetic photon which is interacting with an atom in a material.