Anti matter Definition and 24 Threads

In modern physics, antimatter is defined as matter that is composed of the antiparticles (or "partners") of the corresponding particles of "ordinary" matter. Minuscule numbers of antiparticles are generated daily at particle accelerators—total production has been only a few nanograms (ng)—and in natural processes like cosmic ray collisions and some types of radioactive decay, but only a tiny fraction of these have successfully been bound together in experiments to form anti-atoms. No macroscopic amount of antimatter has ever been assembled due to the extreme cost and difficulty of production and handling.
Theoretically, a particle and its anti-particle (for example, a proton and an antiproton) have the same mass, but opposite electric charge, and other differences in quantum numbers. For example, a proton has positive charge while an antiproton has negative charge.
A collision between any particle and its anti-particle partner leads to their mutual annihilation, giving rise to various proportions of intense photons (gamma rays), neutrinos, and sometimes less-massive particle–antiparticle pairs. The majority of the total energy of annihilation emerges in the form of ionizing radiation. If surrounding matter is present, the energy content of this radiation will be absorbed and converted into other forms of energy, such as heat or light. The amount of energy released is usually proportional to the total mass of the collided matter and antimatter, in accordance with the notable mass–energy equivalence equation, E=mc2.Antimatter particles bind with each other to form antimatter, just as ordinary particles bind to form normal matter. For example, a positron (the antiparticle of the electron) and an antiproton (the antiparticle of the proton) can form an antihydrogen atom. The nuclei of antihelium have been artificially produced, albeit with difficulty, and are the most complex anti-nuclei so far observed. Physical principles indicate that complex antimatter atomic nuclei are possible, as well as anti-atoms corresponding to the known chemical elements.
There is strong evidence that the observable universe is composed almost entirely of ordinary matter, as opposed to an equal mixture of matter and antimatter. This asymmetry of matter and antimatter in the visible universe is one of the great unsolved problems in physics. The process by which this inequality between matter and antimatter particles developed is called baryogenesis.

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  1. K

    B What are the differences between relict and relic?

    Dear PF Forum, It's been a while since I logged in PF Forum. And wish you a good health. I'd like to ask a question concerning anti matter. I read in Dan Brown's Angel and Demon that anti matter can be used as energy source. A ha, I said to myself. There were you went wrong mr. Author. The...
  2. A

    Can an Anti-Matter Blade Cut Through Anything?

    I recently got this weird idea of a blade which would work not with matter but with anti-matter. The idea is that an anti-particle (anti-proton, anti-neutron, anti-electron) generator would create a "spray" of antimatter towards a specific direction. Said antimatter would interact and "puff out...
  3. Sebastiaan

    I Anti Proton - Non Proton reaction

    Alright, I have a basic understanding about anti hydrogen - hydrogen annihilation reaction. But what exactly happens if an anti hydrogen atom stumbles into anything else like a deuterium, tritium of helium atom? From my limited understanding, antimatter can only react with its anti-particle...
  4. sander69

    Test of Special Relativity Confirmed - ScienceMag.org

    On the following link it is mentioned that this experiment tests special relativity. Can someone please explain how it does that? http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/12/deep-probe-antimatter-puts-einstein-s-special-relativity-test
  5. Stephanus

    B Exploring Anti-Gravity: Is It Real?

    Dear PF Forum, I've been wondering lately about anti gravity. I read anti matter and came across this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_interaction_of_antimatter And I'm curious to now. Is there really an anti gravity? And I've read this wiki entry...
  6. Stephanus

    Matter - anti matter annihilation

    Dear PF Forum, Can proton be annihilated by anti neutron? Can proton be annihilated by positron? Can neutron be annihilated by positron? Does every particle has to match its antiparticle to be annihilated, example: Proton must be annihilated by anti-proton, not by anti neutron. I've heard that...
  7. Stephanus

    Exploring Anti Matter Black Holes: Physical and Statistical Possibilities

    Dear PF Forum, In less than 1 second after big bang, baryons were created. And there's asymmetry in it. Can anyone help me? 1. Is it physically possible for a galaxy made entirely from anti matter? 2. If it's true, is it statistically possible for a galaxy made entirely from anti matter? If...
  8. K

    Anti Matter - Does it exist on Earth?

    Anti Matter -- Does it exist on Earth? simple question , in this world , is there any anti matter ? sorry my english is terrible thank you:smile:
  9. R

    Is Anti-Matter Hiding in the Universe as Dark Matter?

    Are they present in the form of dark-matter?
  10. T

    Uncovering the Mystery of Anti-Matter in Our Galaxy

    I had not heard of this, so I thought others might be interested. I thought that all natural Anti matter had been lost at the beginning of the Universe, but apparently there is a 10000 light year cloud of anti matter near the center of our galaxy...
  11. C

    Exploring the Mystery of Anti Matter Energy

    I was watching a programme on anti matter 'discovery' whereby a guy claimed that research is going on to create this... The way this guy described the energy was that if a 'anti matter' clone of himself was to touch him, both him and the surroundings would be obliterated.. He claimed that...
  12. A

    Can matter and anti matter manipulation be used for replication of

    can matter and anti matter manipulation be used for replication of cells
  13. wolram

    Bouncing universes and anti matter.

    I found this article on anti matter, (far to complex for me to completely understand). what i would like to know is, does this happen at every bounce, or is this (the) start to the universe. http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/1007/1007.4317v2.pdf.
  14. R

    What happens when matter and antimatter collide?

    Sorry I was unsure where to post this so I hope its ok posting it here. I'm an aspiring author and looking to writing a book with a space/sci-fi theme. Now I understand a lot about antimatter but what I don't know is the exact reaction that happens or the conditions. What I would like to...
  15. C

    Is it possible to produce anti matter and if yes what could be its

    is it possible to produce anti matter and if yes what could be its benefits, . could it help traveling through space. could it be the fuel that ufos use .or it would just be dangerous and couse the end of the world
  16. K

    Does anti-matter have a stronger gravitational pull than matter?

    Since elementary school they taught us that gravity is about mass and we even use it in the formula to calculate the gravitational force between two masses. As I know anti matter doesn't have a mass and not consisted of the theoretical god particle (Higgs Boson) but still it is said that...
  17. N

    Anti Matter vs Matter: What Happens When They Collide?

    so I am watching this show on discovery and were talking about anti matter vs matter. cool, i understand that they cancel each other out. but if in the beginning energy turn into matter (e=mc2) what creates anti matter? anti energy? secondly, as per the law of conservation of energy, energy...
  18. N

    Exploring the Truth About Anti Matter: Production and Existence in Outer Space

    On the Earth, it is produced in tiny quantities in particle accelerators, but it's also produced say, in outer space as well ? is this true? Are human being made of anti matter, or does it have to be produced purposely, and it exists naturally in outer space ?
  19. S

    Magnetic charge,matter and anti matter

    I got a thought on this strange hypothetical question. We differentiate between matter and anti matter based on electric charge. if electron has -ve charge,then its anti matter positron has +ve charge. Supposing if there are particles having magnetic charge then 1. Will we have matter and...
  20. R

    Anti matter (alternate dimensions)

    Hello, If there is an oposite dimension to ours, does that mean that there would be an oposite me? If it does, does that mean that if I was thinking of the oposite me would the oposite me be thinking about me? Or would he be doing the oposite of thinking about me? Sorry if it sounds like a...
  21. wolram

    Gravitational properties of anti matter

    [15] arXiv:0810.3435 [pdf] Title: Dark matter, dark energy and gravitational proprieties of antimatter Authors: Dragan Slavkov Hajdukovic Subjects: General Physics (physics.gen-ph) We suggest that the eventual gravitational repulsion between matter and antimatter may be a key for...
  22. C

    Where did all the anti matter go to?

    Where did all the anti matter go to?? hi all i have read dozens of articles on anti matter, but my question is.. is it all true? is it true tht antimatter has been found? where was it found?? why didnt tht bit of anti matter destroy the matter?? where did all the anti matter go to??
  23. wolram

    Matter vs Anti-Matter: Why Did Matter Dominate Universe?

    Why did matter dominate the universe ? if i read the BB corectly matter and anti matter were (produced) in equal amounts.
  24. C

    I had a thought about the nature of anti matter

    suppose that antimatter is not real in the real sense nut still is.what if when a nuclear decay or atom smasher happens and a positron is released,since positrons and electrons annihillate each other when they make contact,what if anti matter is actual the absense of energy not real energy in...
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