pair production
noun
Physics. the simultaneous creation of a particle and its antiparticle by a nucleus or particle in an excited state, as when a photon is absorbed.
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Origin of pair production
First recorded in 1930–35
Words nearby pair production
pairing, pairle, pair-oar, pair of compasses, pair off, pair production, pair royal, pairs, pair skating, pair trawling, paisa
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for pair production
pair production
noun
the production of an electron and a positron from a gamma-ray photon in a strong field as that passes close to an atomic nucleus
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for pair production
pair production
[ pâr ]
The simultaneous creation of a subatomic particle and its antiparticle from some other particle or a field fluctuation. A high-energy gamma ray photon, for example, can spontaneously create an electron-positron pair in a strong electric field. Pair production is essential to theories of particle physics; pair production from gamma rays is used to detect such rays in pair production telescopes, since electrons and positrons are easily detected.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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