No.and if the universe were to contain more matter (and therefore gravitation) a given unit of mass would release more energy upon annihilation?
No, potential energy is not involved at all. What happens is that part of the rest mass of the ingredients is turned into kinetic energy of the products.Quantumcorral said:but the sum of the mass of the products is lower than the ingredients, so hasn't gravitational potential energy been lost?
Gravitational potential energy is relevant for energy, and there is no energy lost in the annihilation process.Quantumcorral said:but the sum of the mass of the products is lower than the ingredients, so hasn't gravitational potential energy been lost? on a smaller scale is this not also the case with fusion/fission, gravitational potential energy must have been lost, or am I missing something?
mfb said:Gravitational potential energy is relevant for energy, and there is no energy lost in the annihilation process.
The point is, that when we write that the gravitational potential energy is mgh, what we really mean is that m is not just the rest mass. Gravity attracts all forms of energy, and m is really the total energy divided by c2.Quantumcorral said:but the sum of the mass of the products is lower than the ingredients, so hasn't gravitational potential energy been lost? on a smaller scale is this not also the case with fusion/fission, gravitational potential energy must have been lost, or am I missing something?
Annihilation is a process in which particles and their corresponding antiparticles collide and are converted into other forms of energy, such as photons or other particles. This process is governed by the laws of conservation of energy and momentum.
Annihilation occurs when a particle and its antiparticle come into contact and their combined mass is converted into energy. This energy is typically released in the form of photons, which can be detected by instruments.
Potential energy is a form of energy that is stored in an object or system due to its position or configuration. It is the energy that an object has the potential to release or use in the future.
In the process of annihilation, the potential energy stored in the particles is released and converted into other forms of energy. This is an example of how potential energy can be converted into other forms of energy through physical processes.
In particle accelerators, particles are accelerated to high speeds and then collide, resulting in annihilation and the release of potential energy. Another example is nuclear reactions, where the conversion of mass into energy leads to the release of large amounts of potential energy.