Particle- antiparticle annihilation, how is it understood?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the understanding and visualization of particle-antiparticle annihilation, particularly in the context of theories beyond Dirac's hole theory. Participants explore various interpretations and implications of the annihilation process, including energy transformation and the nature of particles and waves.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that particle-antiparticle pairs can be visualized as waves that annihilate when they are out of phase, similar to how certain waves can extinguish each other.
  • Others argue that annihilation does not imply disappearance but rather the release of energy, with the masses of the particles being transformed into other forms, possibly photons.
  • A participant questions whether the process is described in detail beyond stating that energy is converted and probabilities are predicted for various outcomes.
  • There is a contention regarding the concept of "pure energy," with one participant asserting that energy must be associated with particles, while another challenges this notion.
  • Questions are raised about the nature of space and whether everything must be considered as particles, leading to discussions about virtual particles and indeterminacy.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express multiple competing views regarding the visualization and understanding of annihilation, with no consensus reached on a singular model or explanation.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions involve assumptions about the definitions of energy and particles, and the implications of different theoretical frameworks on the understanding of annihilation processes remain unresolved.

alemsalem
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How do physicists understand or "visualize" annihilation without Dirac's hole theory?
 
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The way I see it is that a particle and an anti particle can be seen as two waves, a sine and cosine for example. Two waves that are out of fase with each other and thus anihilate upon contact.

Kinda how light and sound waves can be extenguished with their anti-wave
 
alemsalem said:
How do physicists understand or "visualize" annihilation without Dirac's hole theory?

The particle and anti-particle does not disappear but releases energy. Since mass is one form of energy, the masses of the particle/anti-particle are transformed, possibly into a photon.
 
Or pure energy, which gives off a nice yield :P
 
kaksmet said:
The particle and anti-particle does not disappear but releases energy. Since mass is one form of energy, the masses of the particle/anti-particle are transformed, possibly into a photon.

But is the process described in more detail, or do we just say the electron and positron's energy is converted into another form and predict probabilities for different things to happen..

I'm not sure how meaningful this question is,, Dirac's hole theory describes the process as an electron recombining with a hole in a negative energy state, but a positron isn't a hole, and I was wondering if there is a more modern theory that describes the process in such a simple and beautiful way.
 
Synetos said:
Or pure energy, which gives off a nice yield :P

There is no such thing as "pure energy," except in science fiction. Energy is a property of something. In particle-antiparticle annihilation, the total energy of the original particle and antiparticle equals the total energy of the photons that are produced in the annihilation.
 
That was interesting jtbell. And you're sure that you can't define energy to SpaceTime without it representing some sort of 'particle'?

So everything must be 'particles'?
=

What would then 'space' be?
Virtual particles?
Or indeterminacy?
 

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