Pair Production and Annihilation - A Level Physics

When a particle meets its antiparticle, they annihilate and form pure energy. This energy is carried away by two photons. The reverse can happen too! A photon can form an electron and a positron. This is called pair production.

Music credit:
Song: Dipcrusher - Islands (Vlog No Copyright Music)
Music provided by Vlog No Copyright Music.

[MikeRosoftJH]

Clarification: an electron-positron pair in vacuum cannot annihilate into a single photon; such a reaction would violate the conservation of momentum. Likewise, a single photon in vacuum cannot convert into an electron-positron pair. This reaction is possible when a photon interacts with another particle, which carries away the extra momentum.

[morbedhorse]

By the way here is a motivational quote, it might seem silly but i don't care as long as it motivates people for the better



"Become like a positive positron to annihilate the negativity of electrons!"

[The-One-and-Only]

Electrons (and positions) are 511 keV, so a gamma ray of 1022 keV will make an electron and position pair

[Melpomenex]

Beautiful explanation and editing, thank you.

[deadeye_john]

I have a question. Has anyone done a pair production experiment around 2010 to 2020?

[sigmawoolf]

Pair production cannot happen without the presence of a nucleus or any other particulate entity to mediate the interaction. Kindly clarify on that as it misses in your video.

[KungFuHonky]

So it's completely Newtonian? ..The maths?