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Positron

The positron is the antiparticle or the antimatter counterpart of the electron.

Basically in an atom you have the proton, neutron and electron. But in an even smaller context (subatomically) you have the 

counterpart to the electron, which is the positron, it has the same mass as an electron and a weak positive charge. So essentially 

the positron is a subatomic atom so to speak.

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.

Today, positrons are routinely produced in positron emission tomography (PET) which are scanners used in hospitals.

And for those of you who are sci-fi fans, in the Star Trek series/movies the android Data, his "brother" Lore, and his "daughter" Lal (androids) have positronic brains. 

I do have to say between Star Wars and Star Trek, i'm more of a Trek fan,  although i did enjoy watching the Star Wars Movies

And also in the movie Ghostbusters, which i saw multiple times,  Peter Venkman calls his proton pack (the ghost trapping device) a "positron collider".

So positrons are both real and found in fiction 



 

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