BRAINCAKEPair Production
In pair production, a high-energy photon is converted into a particle and its antiparticle. The most common example produces an electron and a positron:
γ → e- + e+
Energy is converted into mass, so the photon must have at least enough energy to supply the total rest energy of the two particles:
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Key terms in this lesson
- rest energy
- The energy equivalent of a particle's mass when it is at rest, given by E equals mc squared.
More in Particle Physics
- Tracks in a Magnetic Field
- Relativistic Energies and GeV
- Mass in MeV/c2
- Particles and Antiparticles
- Annihilation
- The Standard Model
- Quarks
- Leptons
All 19 lessons in Particle Physics · All Edexcel A-level Physics topics