positron

[ poz-i-tron ]

noun

, Physics.

1. an elementary particle having the same mass and spin as an electron but having a positive charge equal in magnitude to that of the electron's negative charge; the antiparticle of the electron.

positron

/ ˈpɒzɪˌtrɒn /

noun

1. physics the antiparticle of the electron, having the same mass but an equal and opposite charge. It is produced in certain decay processes and in pair production, annihilation occurring when it collides with an electron

positron

/ pŏz′ĭ-trŏn′ /

1. The antiparticle that corresponds to an electron.
2. Also called antielectron

positron

1. The antiparticle for an electron ; it has the same mass as an electron, but carries a positive charge .

Notes

Positrons are found in collisions initiated by cosmic rays .

Word History and Origins

Origin of positron¹

First recorded in 1930–35; posi(tive) + (elec)tron

Word History and Origins

Origin of positron¹

C20: from posi ( tive + elec ) tron

Example Sentences

Even humble bananas emit positrons, the electron’s antimatter counterpart.

From Science News

Where electrons have negative electric charge, positrons have positive charge.

From Science News For Students

The neutron and positron were both found in laboratories that are small in comparison with today’s, and each discovery was attributed to a single physicist, relatively soon after the particles had been proposed.

From Science News

In the 1930s, antimatter was such a leap that Dirac’s hesitation to propose the positron was understandable.

From Science News

Physicists also resisted the positron, until it became difficult to ignore.

From Science News

The uncertainty in the positron counts are huge at the high energy end of the AMS-02 results.

From The Daily Beast

In fact, the data seem to show positron counts leveling off at high energy, but things are still pretty messy.

From The Daily Beast

When the gamma rays enter the sleeve, they interact with that photon gas, annihilating into electron-positron pairs.

From The Daily Beast

Another highly regarded method was PET, or positron emission tomography.

From The Daily Beast

These units are the positron, the negatron, and the neutron.

From Project Gutenberg

The design of the electron brain had completely ignored the polarity of the positron.

From Project Gutenberg

As I am the only scholar in my field—the polarity of the positron—I have never been asked for information.

From Project Gutenberg