When matter and anti-matter collide, in what form is the resulting energy?

In summary, when particles and antiparticles annihilate, they produce high-energy photons which can be said to be "pure energy". This process is reversible, as a pair of high-energy photons can create an electron and positron. However, this can only occur in the presence of a nucleus and is a common method of shielding against high-energy gamma rays.
  • #1
Jarfi
384
12
I know that when matter is mixed with anti matter they disappear into pure energy. But how can there be energy with no matter? Is it light that forms? do we get a massive blast of light? what else could it be? with no matter you can't have energy(exept for light)... what happens?
 
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  • #2
Your guess is right, when particles annihilate with antiparticles the result is high-energy photons, which have zero mass so they can be said to be "pure energy". Also note that while electrons and positrons convert entirely to photons, the same is not true for protons and antiprotons, see the second paragraph here.
 
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  • #3
JesseM said:
Your guess is right, when particles annihilate with antiparticles the result is high-energy photons, which have zero mass so they can be said to be "pure energy". here.


So if electrons and positrons create photons and gamma rays. Could i reverse the process and focus light/gamma rays in one dot and end up with an electron and positron?
 
  • #4
Jarfi said:
So if electrons and positrons create photons and gamma rays.
gamma ray is just a name for the type of photons emitted (a gamma ray is just a photon with a sufficiently high frequency, see the electromagnetic spectrum), they aren't two different types of particles.
Jarfi said:
Could i reverse the process and focus light/gamma rays in one dot and end up with an electron and positron?
A pair of gamma ray photons can spontaneously create an electron/positron pair (see 'reverse reaction'), I don't know how difficult it is to produce photons with such high energy or the probability they will convert in this way if focused at a sufficiently small region or how difficult it would be to actually focus high-energy photons in this way, maybe someone else can address the practicality of this.
 
  • #5
Single photon gamma rays with energy above 1.022 Mev may end up as an electron-positron pair. This can only occur in the presence of a nucleus, needed to conserve momentum. This process is one of the principal ways to shield (using lead for example) against high energy gamma rays.
 

FAQs about Matter and Anti-Matter Collisions

1. What is matter and anti-matter?

Matter and anti-matter are two forms of particles that have equal mass but opposite charges. Matter has a positive charge, while anti-matter has a negative charge.

2. What happens when matter and anti-matter collide?

When matter and anti-matter collide, they annihilate each other and release a large amount of energy in the form of gamma rays.

3. What form does the energy take after the collision?

The energy released from the collision of matter and anti-matter is in the form of gamma rays, which are high-energy photons.

4. Can we harness the energy from matter and anti-matter collisions?

Currently, we do not have the technology to harness the energy released from matter and anti-matter collisions. The process of creating and containing anti-matter is also extremely difficult and costly.

5. What are the potential applications of matter and anti-matter collisions?

Matter and anti-matter collisions have the potential to produce an enormous amount of energy, making it a potential energy source for space travel. It could also be used in medical applications, such as cancer treatment using targeted gamma ray therapy.

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