Antimatter
Antimatter consists of particles that are the counterparts to the matter particles we encounter daily. For every type of particle, such as electrons and protons, there exists an antimatter counterpart: positrons and antiprotons, respectively. When matter and antimatter meet, they annihilate each other, releasing energy in the form of gamma rays. In experimental particle physics, scientists create and study antimatter to understand fundamental forces, the universe's origins, and why we see more matter than antimatter. Antimatter has potential applications in medicine, such as in PET scans, and might one day be used as a powerful energy source.
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Antimatter is a type of matter that is opposite to the regular matter we see around us. For every particle, like an electron, there’s its antimatter counterpart, called a positron, which has the same mass but opposite charge. When matter and antimatter meet, they annihilate each other, releasing energy in the form of gamma rays. Antimatter exists in small amounts in nature and is used in technologies like PET scans in medicine. Creating and storing antimatter is currently very challenging, but it holds potential for advanced energy sources and space travel research.