A positron may be generated by positron emission radioactive decay, or the interaction of photons of energy greater than 1.022 MeV with matter. This process is called pair production, as it generates both an electron and a positron from the energy of the photon.
The existence of positron was first postulated in 1928 by Paul Dirac. In 1932, a positron was observed by Carl D. Anderson, who gave the positron its name. Interestingly, Anderson also suggested, unsuccessfully, to rename electrons to "negatron."
The Positron in Fiction
The most famous use of the positron in fiction was Isaac Asimov's use in his robots' Positronic brains. It is likely that he chose to use positrons because they were relatively newly-discovered when he was first writing about the robots. Perhaps in an homage to Asimov, in the Star Trek universe, the android Data (and his brother Lore, "daughter" Lal, and other sundry related androids) also has a Positronic Brain.
In Hideaki Anno's Neon Genesis Evangelion, the positron rifle, based upon the ATHENA tests in Europe, is used to defeat the invading Angels on numerous occassions.
When a low-energy positron collides with a low-energy electron, undergoing an annihilation event, their mass is converted into the kinetic energy of two gamma rayphotons (see electron-positron annihilation).
The existence of positrons was first postulated in 1928 by Paul Dirac as an inevitable consequence of the Dirac equation.
Anderson also unsuccessfully suggested renaming electrons "negatrons." The positron was the first evidence of antimatter and was discovered by passing cosmic rays through a gas chamber and a lead plate surrounded by a magnet to distinguish the particles by bending differently charged particles in different directions.
Positron (Dr. Raymond Keyes) is a fictional superhero from the City of Heroes backstory.
During this arc in the series, Positron and Synapse would become entrusted in protecting Candy Lebeaux, one of three people with the cosmic potential the Circle of Thorns needed to summon their patron god.
Positron has the ability to general and control anti-matter, which upon contact with regular matter, generally explodes.
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