Positron
A positron is the antiparticle of the electron, with an identical mass but a positive electric charge, making it a fundamental building block in the study of antimatter. It briefly exists in high-energy environments before annihilating upon contact with an electron, releasing energy as gamma rays, and has practical applications in fields like medical imaging. In modern physics, positrons help probe the symmetries of the universe and are essential for technologies such as particle detectors.
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Positrons, though fleeting, are naturally produced in the Earth's atmosphere at a rate of about 10 per second from cosmic rays, but they annihilate almost instantly, converting their mass into energy. This process inspired the development of positron emission tomography (PET) scans, which use positrons to detect diseases like cancer and have helped diagnose over 2 million patients annually since the 1970s, revolutionizing non-invasive medical imaging.
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