As matter is composed of many particles such as electrons and protons, antimatter is composed of antielectrons (also called positrons) and antiprotons. The antimatter concept also tells us that all matter has corresponding and equivalent antimatter that possess opposite properties.

For instance the hydrogen atom will have corresponding antimatter called antihydrogen and all of the antihydrogen's particles will have properties opposite those of the normal hydrogen particles. A hydrogen atom's proton has a positive charge while the antiproton of the antihydrogen will have a negative charge. However, the antihydrogen's antiproton will still have the same mass as the normal hydrogen proton. The same goes for hydrogen's electrons and antihydrogen's antielectrons. That is, the antihydrogen's antielectron and the hydrogen's electron may have opposite charges but both have the same mass.

Antimatter is naturally occurring, but only in very small quantities. Antimatter is naturally formed during the radioactive decay of some elements or materials. However, such naturally occurring antimatter is too little to be able to produce significant amounts of energy. They also occur within a very short span of time – this period of time proves inadequate for collection and experimentation. This had led to the need for further research and study on how to produce large amounts of antimatter under controlled conditions.

History of AntimatterAntimatter

The discovery and development of the antimatter theory and technology could be dated back to December 1927. At that time, Paul Dirac, a British theoretical physicist, was able to formulate a special equation describing the motion of electrons. This equation (still known today as the Dirac equation) was unique in a way because Paul Dirac was able to apply Einstein's theory of relativity in his studies, so he was able to predict that there must be a particle that has the same mass as of the electron but has the opposite charge.

This theory led to the conceptualization of antiparticles or broadly speaking, the antimatter. This had also led to the widespread discovery and study of antimatter together with all of its uses and possible benefits to human life.

Energy Production from Antimatter

Whenever antimatter collides with its equivalent matter, they will annihilate each other. This collision and annihilation will release large amounts of energy because in the process, the mass of both particle and antiparticle will be converted into pure energy – usually in the form of high-energy photons (known as gamma rays). The energy be released from such a collision (according to Einstein's equation "E=mc2") could be used to generate electricity using advanced technology and equipment.

The Future of Antimatter Energy Production

Intensive studies are currently being undertaken by numerous institutions regarding the behavior and application of the antimatter. As technology advances through the years, better and cheaper ways of producing significant amounts of antimatter are expected to be developed and antimatter may become a good source of renewable and sustainable energy. This is not yet possible today, but in the future, it is a significant possibility.