Vocabulary: The Conversion of Matter into Energy

[Eldritch]

Despite all my searching, I cannot seem to come across any word to describe this process. The closest I can seem to come is dematerialisation, yet, in my opinion, this refers to the evanescence of matter rather than its expansion/dispersal/conversion into energy. I understand that the word used to describe this at a cellular level is respiration, the opposite of photosynthesis, yet I am looking for a single word more suited to describe it at a more microcosmic level.

I am doing this out of personal interest rather than academic assignment. I would sincerely appreciate any help. I seem to have reached an impasse.

 

[Crosson]

There are many processes in which the change in mass can be accounted for by an increase in energy. There is no general term for this, it seems most common to refer to a certain process in particular. Examples:

Nuclear Fusion
Matter-Antimatter Anihilation
Particle-Antiparticle pair production

I too would like to see a better answer to your question.

 

[Meir Achuz]

The word "decay" describes many processes where matter-->energy.
For instance in the decay of a neutron to a proton, electron, and neutrino,
energy is released.