antiparticle
noun/ˈæntiˌpɑ(ɹ)tɪkəl/
Etymology From anti- + particle.
1
Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Physics Particle A subatomic particle corresponding to another particle with the same mass, spin and mean lifetime but with charge, parity, strangeness and other quantum numbers flipped in sign; a particle that has a reversed world line to another.
- There could be whole antiworlds and antipeople made out of antiparticles. However, if you meet your antiself, don't shake hands!1988, Stephen Hawking, A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes, page 75:
- Particles of matter and antimatter are identical, except for an opposite electrical charge. An electron has a negative charge whereas its antiparticle, the positron, has a positive charge, and both have an identical mass.2010 November 19, Alok Jha, “We can't see antimatter but it really does matter”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
- Derived terms
- particle-antiparticle
- Related terms
- antimatter, self-conjugate