What is Antimatter and How Does it Work?

  • Thread starter RisingPhoinex
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Antimatter
In summary: IIRC stands for "If I Remember Correctly." Often times people use this term to emphasize that they are not sure if what they are saying is true, but they believe it to be.
  • #1
RisingPhoinex
1
0
I have always been interested in Antimatter. Wherever I go to find information I never get a definite answer. Please end my search. I'll be happy even with the most dry facts.

Thanks,
RP
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Welcome to physicsforums, RisingPhoenix.

We'll definitely give you a definite answer for any question you have here. Go ahead and ask away!

- Warren
 
  • #3
this site has a lot of good info. It doesn't focus on antimatter exackly, but it explains what it is: http://particleadventure.org/particleadventure/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #4
From dictionary.com:

A hypothetical form of matter that is identical to physical matter except that its atoms are composed of antielectrons, antiprotons, and antineutrons.

And that they also have opposite charge. What's important is that when they meet, they collide and turn into 100% energy.

If we replaced all particles with antiparticles, then the universe would be completely the same, IIRC...
 
  • #5
Alrite, I'll try to give a general summary of antimatter. Antimatter is composed of antipatricles...positron, antiproton, and antineutron. The only difference between the antiparticles and their normal counterpart is the net charge, everything else is the same...for example, their mass, the propagation of light and sound and gravity, ect (hence why Simfishy said the universe would be completely the same if all the patricles would be replaced by their antipatricles). As we all know, an electon has a negative charge, a proton has a positive charge and the neutron is neutral (neutron...neutral, makes sense! :rofl:). The positron therefore has a positive charge, the antiproton has a negative charge and the antineutron is --drum role-- neutral! You might think in that case that the neutron and antineutron are the same thing, but in fact they arent. Neutrons/antineutrons and protons/antiprotons are made of quarks/antiquarks. A proton is made of 2 up quarks and 1 down quark (uud), while a neutron is made of 1 up quark and 2 down quarks (udd). The up quark has a charge of +2/3, the down quark has a charge of -1/3. The anti-up quark therefore has a charge of -2/3 and the anti-down quark has a charge of +1/3.

Proton = (uud) = 2/3 + 2/3 - 1/3 = +1
Neutron = (udd) = 2/3 - 1/3 - 1/3 = 0
antiproton = (anti-u, anti-u, anti-d) = -2/3 - 2/3 + 1/3 = -1
antineutron = (anti-u, anti-d, anti-d) = -2/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 = 0

Anways, I hope that helps you understand antimatter better. If you have any questions, just ask.

BTW, I see "IIRC" a lot, can anyone tell me what that means??
 
  • #6
ArmoSkater87 said:
BTW, I see "IIRC" a lot, can anyone tell me what that means??

check the 'common physics acronym' thread.
 
  • #7
IIRC = "If I Remember Correctly" or "If I Recall Correctly"

- Warren
 

1. What is antimatter?

Antimatter is a type of matter that is composed of antiparticles, which have the opposite charge and spin of their corresponding particles in regular matter. When antimatter and matter come into contact, they annihilate each other, releasing a large amount of energy.

2. How is antimatter created?

Antimatter can be created through high-energy collisions, such as those that occur in particle accelerators. It can also be produced through certain radioactive decays or as a result of cosmic rays interacting with the Earth's atmosphere.

3. What are the potential applications of antimatter?

Antimatter has the potential to be used as a highly efficient source of energy, as it produces a large amount of energy when it annihilates with regular matter. It can also be used in medical imaging and cancer treatment, as well as in the production of certain types of sensors and detectors.

4. Can antimatter be stored?

Yes, antimatter can be stored, but it requires extremely specialized and controlled conditions. Antimatter particles must be contained in a vacuum and isolated from any regular matter to prevent annihilation. Currently, only small amounts of antimatter can be stored for a short period of time.

5. Is antimatter dangerous?

Antimatter itself is not inherently dangerous, as it only becomes dangerous when it comes into contact with regular matter. However, the process of creating and storing antimatter requires advanced technology and safety precautions, making it potentially dangerous if mishandled. Additionally, if a large amount of antimatter were to come into contact with the Earth's atmosphere, it could have catastrophic effects.

Similar threads

  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
5
Views
2K
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
30
Views
3K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
2
Views
1K
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
31
Views
1K
  • Other Physics Topics
Replies
23
Views
5K
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
1
Views
1K
Back
Top