positron

American  

[poz-i-tron] / ˈpɒz ɪˌtrɒn /

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 British  

/ 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 Scientific  

/ pŏz′ĭ-trŏn′ /

1. The antiparticle that corresponds to an electron.

2. Also called antielectron

---

positron Cultural  

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

---

Discover More

Positrons are found in collisions initiated by cosmic rays.

Etymology

Origin of positron

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

Example Sentences

One type fires electrons into their antimatter counterparts, positrons, but these e+e- colliders struggle to reach high energies.

From Science Magazine • Mar. 27, 2024

If the gamma ray energy gets too high, however, the rays can instead transform into pairs of electrons and positrons and stop exerting pressure.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 21, 2023

For instance, positrons are known to be components of antimatter.

From Science Daily • Oct. 10, 2023

In the case of LiF crystals, these positrons may attract two neighboring fluorine negative ions on the surface to form a positronic compound.

From Science Daily • Oct. 10, 2023

They provided precise ionization data, spelled out their theory on how positrons emitted by the bombarded atoms transmuted into gamma rays, and carefully avoided any speculation about the significance of the new phenomenon.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik