electron-positron creation

Pair production is a physics phenomenon where a particle-antiparticle pair is created. This most commonly occurs when a high-energy photon interacts with matter near an atomic nucleus, transforming radiant energy into matter. The most observed instance is the creation of an electron and a positron from a photon.12

For this to happen, the photon's energy must be at least equivalent to the mass of two electrons, which is 1.022 MeV, as described by Einstein's equation (E=mc^2). Any energy beyond this minimum is converted into the kinetic energy of the electron-positron pair. The positron, being the antiparticle of the electron, is positively charged and has the same mass. Positrons quickly annihilate with electrons, producing gamma radiation. This process was first detected in 1933.13