Matter-Antimatter Annihilation

Matter-antimatter annihilation occurs when a particle of matter encounters its corresponding antiparticle. These antiparticles have the same mass but opposite electric charge. When they meet, they annihilate each other, transforming their mass into energy according to Einstein's equation \(E=mc^2\). This process releases a burst of energy in the form of gamma rays and other particles. It’s a highly efficient conversion of matter into energy, vastly more powerful than nuclear reactions, and is a fundamental phenomenon in physics that demonstrates the symmetry and reactions between matter and antimatter.