Elektronipariaukko

Elektronipariaukko, also known as an electron-positron pair, refers to the creation of an electron and its antiparticle, the positron, from energy. This phenomenon is a direct consequence of Einstein's famous equation E=mc², which states that energy and mass are interchangeable.

In the process of pair production, a high-energy photon, typically a gamma ray, interacts with a strong electromagnetic field, often near an atomic nucleus. This interaction allows the photon's energy to be converted into the rest mass of an electron and a positron. Both particles are created with equal and opposite charges, ensuring that the overall charge remains conserved. The minimum energy required for this process is the sum of the rest masses of the electron and the positron, which is approximately 1.022 MeV.

If the photon possesses more energy than this threshold, the excess energy is converted into the kinetic energy of the newly created electron-positron pair. After their creation, the electron and positron will eventually annihilate each other when they encounter one another, producing two photons, each with an energy of at least 0.511 MeV. Electron-positron pair production is a fundamental process observed in particle physics experiments and plays a role in astrophysical phenomena.