antihydrogen
Meaning
The antimatter counterpart of hydrogen, consisting of an antiproton and a positron.
Structure
Usage
Scientists at CERN successfully produced and trapped atoms of antihydrogen.
Studying the properties of antihydrogen could help explain the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe.
The spectral lines of antihydrogen are predicted to be identical to those of ordinary hydrogen.
Etymology
The word is a modern scientific compound formed in the 20th century. The prefix "anti-," of Greek origin, is used in physics to denote the antimatter counterpart of a substance. It is attached to "hydrogen," the name for the lightest chemical element, itself derived from Greek roots meaning "water-former." Thus, "antihydrogen" literally means "the opposite form of hydrogen," logically describing an atom composed of antimatter particles that mirrors the structure of ordinary hydrogen.
Analysis
- anti: From Greek, via Latin and French. A prefix meaning "against," "opposite of," or "counteracting." - hydrogen: From French hydrogène, from Greek hydro- (water) + -genēs (born, produced). The element that produces water when burned.