Scrutinizing with Antimatter

Abstract

Physics suggests that Nature is made of matter and the so-called anti-matter, the latter in lesser extent. Antimatter is made up of antiparticles with the same mass, but although their charge and magnetic moment are of the same magnitude, they are opposite to those of the corresponding particle of ordinary matter. The collision of particles and antiparticles generates high-energy photons. This paper presents an introduction to the use of antimatter, specifically antielectrons or positrons, to explore and study, through their annihilation with present electrons, aspects as diverse as the metabolism of tissue in a living being and the characteristics of vacancy defects in various materials.