What occurs during annihilation radiation?

Annihilation radiation occurs when an electron and its antiparticle, the positron, come together and annihilate each other. This interaction results in the conversion of their mass into energy, typically manifested as the production of two photons. The mass-energy equivalence principle, as described by Einstein’s equation (E=mc^2), facilitates this transformation, ensuring that the energy from the annihilated matter is conserved and emitted as radiation in the form of high-energy photons, usually gamma rays.

The process is fundamental to particle physics and is commonly observed in positron emission tomography (PET) scans, where positrons emitted from certain radioisotopes interact with electrons in the body, leading to the creation of detectable photons. Understanding this phenomenon is crucial for applications in medical imaging and radiation safety, as it illustrates how particle interactions can result in significant energy transformations and radiation emission.