Create Electron from Proton Annihilation?

[jaketodd]

Search for the text "APEX collaboration at Fermilab" on the following page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiproton

It seems to indicate after that text that an antiproton can turn into an electron and gamma ray. However, before that it says "300,000 yr." So is it saying that it will take that long for that to happen? Is there a faster way to create a "new" electron?

Hmm, it says "...antiproton-proton annihilation into electron-positron pair..." on the following page:
http://thesis.library.caltech.edu/3577/

Is that true; can you create a new electron from the annihilation of a proton?

Thanks,

Jake

 

[ZapperZ]

What's wrong with the standard old, true-and-tested pair production?

Zz.

 

[jaketodd]

What's wrong with the standard old, true-and-tested pair production?

Zz.

Are you referring to proton-antiproton annihilation to produce a "new" electron?

Thanks,

Jake

 

[ZapperZ]

Are you referring to proton-antiproton annihilation to produce a "new" electron?

Thanks,

Jake

Pair production - production of electron-positron pairs out of gamma rays.

Zz.

 

[jtbell]

Search for the text "APEX collaboration at Fermilab" on the following page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiproton

It seems to indicate after that text that an antiproton can turn into an electron and gamma ray. However, before that it says "300,000 yr." So is it saying that it will take that long for that to happen?

In the context of the preceding paragraph, I'm pretty sure that this is a lower limit on the antiproton lifetime. That is, the experiment didn't actually see any antiprotons decay; but based on the number of antiprotons involved and the time duration of the experiment, if the antiproton has a lifetime greater than 300,000 yr they wouldn't have been able to detect any antiprotons decaying anyway.