Editing Positron (section)

{{Short description|Anti-particle to the electron}}
{{Other uses|Positron (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Infobox Particle
| name = Positron (antielectron)
| image = [[File:PositronDiscovery.png|200px]]
| caption = [[Cloud chamber]] photograph by [[Carl David Anderson|C. D. Anderson]] of the [[#Experimental clues and discovery|first positron ever identified]]. A 6&nbsp;mm lead plate separates the chamber. The deflection and direction of the particle's ion trail indicate that the particle is a positron.
| num_types =
| composition = [[Elementary particle]]
| statistics = [[Fermionic]]
| generation = First
| interaction = [[Gravity]], [[Electromagnetic interaction|electromagnetic]], [[Weak interaction|weak]]
| antiparticle = [[Electron]]
| theorized = [[Paul Dirac]] (1928)
| discovered = [[Carl D. Anderson]] (1932)
| symbol = {{SubatomicParticle|Positron}}, {{SubatomicParticle|Beta+}}
| mass=[[electron rest mass|''m''<sub>e</sub>]]<br/> {{physconst|me}}<br/> {{physconst|me_Da}}<br/> {{physconst|mec2_MeV|unit={{val|ul=MeV/c2}}}}
| mean_lifetime = stable (same as electron)
| decay_particle =
| electric_charge = +1&nbsp;[[elementary charge|''e'']]<br />+{{physconst|e}}
| weak_isospin    = {{nowrap|[[Chirality (physics)|LH]]: 0, [[Chirality (physics)|RH]]: {{sfrac|1|2}}}}
| color_charge =
| spin = {{sfrac|1|2}}&nbsp;[[reduced Planck constant|''ħ'']] (same as electron)
| num_spin_states =
}}

The '''positron''' or '''antielectron''' is the particle with an [[electric charge]] of +1''[[elementary charge|e]]'', a [[Spin (physics)|spin]] of 1/2 (the same as the electron), and the same [[Electron rest mass|mass as an electron]]. It is the [[antiparticle]] ([[antimatter]] counterpart) of the [[electron]]. When a positron collides with an electron, [[annihilation]] occurs. If this collision occurs at low energies, it results in the production of two or more [[photon]]s.

Positrons can be created by [[positron emission]] radioactive decay (through [[weak interaction]]s), or by [[pair production]] from a sufficiently energetic [[photon]] which is interacting with an atom in a material.