Antiproton facts for kids

Antiprotons are tiny particles of antimatter. They have a negative charge, and are like the opposite version of a regular proton. Antiprotons are the nucleus of an Antihydrogen atom. They are not just ideas; scientists have found them in real studies. When an antiproton touches a regular proton, they both disappear. This process is called annihilation, and it creates a lot of energy.

What are Antiprotons?

Antiprotons are subatomic particles. This means they are smaller than an atom. They have the same mass (or "weight") as a proton. But, they have a negative electric charge. A regular proton has a positive charge. Antiprotons are the "antiparticles" of protons. They also have a magnetic direction that is opposite to a proton's.

How Were Antiprotons Discovered?

Scientists first thought about antiprotons in the early 1930s. However, it took many years to actually find them. In 1955, two scientists named Emilio Segrè and Owen Chamberlain, along with their team, finally found antiprotons. They did this at the University of California at Berkeley.

The Discovery Experiment

To find antiprotons, the scientists used a special machine. This machine was called a proton synchrotron. It was a very powerful particle accelerator. They used it to shoot high-energy protons at a target made of copper. When the protons hit the copper, antiprotons were created.

Why Was It Hard to Find Them?

Finding antiprotons was difficult because it needed a lot of energy. The particle accelerator had to reach about 6 billion electron-volts. This kind of technology was not available until the 1950s. For their important discovery, Segrè and Chamberlain won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1959.

What Happens When They Meet?

When an antiproton and a proton collide, they usually destroy each other. This is called mutual annihilation. It releases a large amount of energy. Sometimes, if they just barely miss each other, they can change into something else. For example, they might create an antineutron and a neutron pair.

Images for kids

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  Antiproton accumulator (center) at Fermilab

See also

In Spanish: Antiprotón para niños