Potential energy and annihilation

AI Thread Summary
In a gravitational field, both an electron and an anti-electron possess potential energy. Upon annihilation, this energy is transformed, and the resulting photons will exhibit momentum changes to conserve total energy. The concept of gravitational redshift is relevant, indicating that the energy of the photons decreases relative to a reference point at infinity. There is a discussion on whether light itself has potential energy, suggesting that daughter particles may inherit potential energy from their parent particles. Overall, the interplay of potential energy and momentum conservation during annihilation is a key focus of the discussion.
Guywithquestions
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Let's assume an electron and an anti-electron are in a gravitational field so they both have potential energy.
What will become of this energy if they annihilate?
Will the momentum of the photons after the annihilation will increase so the total energy will be conserved?

Thanks for answering!
 
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Guywithquestions said:
Will the momentum of the photons after the annihilation will increase so the total energy will be conserved?
Yes*. This is known as gravitational redshift.

*With the usual conventions (reference point “at infinity”) it is a decrease rather than an increase
 
Doesn't light have potential energy?

If it has, then it sounds very intuitive that daughter particles would inherit the potential energy of the parents.
 

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