Is fission or fusion of antiparticles possible?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the possibility of fission or fusion involving antiparticles, exploring the terminology used in particle physics and the implications of antiparticle interactions.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants argue that the terminology of fission and fusion is not particularly helpful in the context of particle physics, as fundamental entities do not change in nuclear reactions.
  • One participant suggests that while fission or fusion of antiparticles is possible, it may be less efficient than combining antiparticles with matter for energy production.
  • Another viewpoint emphasizes that antiparticles are as 'real' as particles and do not simply disappear upon interaction; instead, they annihilate into radiation, suggesting a symmetry rather than a negation of existence.
  • A later reply reiterates the idea that antiparticles can be treated similarly to particles, with the exception of certain processes like beta decay.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the terminology and implications of antiparticle interactions, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain without a clear consensus.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the ambiguity in terminology and the complexity of interactions involving antiparticles, with some assumptions about energy efficiency and the nature of particle interactions remaining unresolved.

pari777
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Is fission or fusion of antiparticles possible?
 
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That terminology is not very helpful in particle physics. In nuclear reactions the fundamental entities you are dealing with don't change (except for a beta decay here and there...) while in fundamental interaction you often end up with entirely different final states than you started with. People throw the words around (for example there is gluon fusion, in which two gluons collide and produce say a Z or something, which then decays into other stuff) but it is more in the spirit of the ordinary meaning of the word rather than out of any particularly strong analogy with nuclear interactions.
 


pari777 said:
Is fission or fusion of antiparticles possible?

Yes, but it is a bit pointless because you can get far more energy from combining it with matter.
 


They are both as 'real' as anything particle wise. When they meet they don't 'disappear', leaving no trace of their existence. They annihilate into 'real' radiation. So you can do anything with a anti particle that you can do with a particle, as far as I know they are a sort of 'mirror symmetry', not 'negative' as in 'disappearing' into a 'nothing'.
 


ok. thanks guys.
 


yoron said:
They are both as 'real' as anything particle wise. When they meet they don't 'disappear', leaving no trace of their existence. They annihilate into 'real' radiation. So you can do anything with a anti particle that you can do with a particle, as far as I know they are a sort of 'mirror symmetry', not 'negative' as in 'disappearing' into a 'nothing'.

Except perhaps with beta decay. :biggrin:
 

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