Annihilation (from the Latin «nihil» : nothing). Literally: transformation into nothing, annihilation; in physics , the process of transforming a particle and an antiparticle into other particles. The annihilation of the electron and positron – first observed in 1930 – whose collision produces photon emission is well studied . There is also the reverse process. The annihilation of the nucleon ( proton , neutron ) and of the antinucleon (antiproton, antineutron) of the hyperon is also known.and antihyperón. [one]
The term “annihilation” is not exact, since when a particle and an antiparticle collide, their transformation does not occur “into nothing”, but only the change from one form of matter to another; In addition, the general mass, energy , momentum, charge, and angular momentum of the particle system are conserved . The discovery of annihilation is of great philosophical significance: it confirms the infinite variety of forms of matter and movement , refutes idealistic lucubrations about the “disappearance of matter” and the “materialization” of energy as well as the idea metaphysics that there are eternal and invariable primary elements of matter. [one]
