Editing Antiproton (section)

=== Production ===
Antiprotons were routinely produced at Fermilab for collider physics operations in the [[Tevatron]], where they were collided with protons. The use of antiprotons allows for a higher average energy of collisions between quarks and antiquarks than would be possible in proton–proton collisions. This is because the valence quarks in the proton, and the valence antiquarks in the antiproton, tend to carry the largest [[Parton (particle physics)|fraction of the proton or antiproton's momentum]].

Formation of antiprotons requires energy equivalent to a temperature of 10 trillion [[Kelvin|K]] (10<sup>13</sup>&nbsp;K), and this does not tend to happen naturally. However, at CERN, protons are accelerated in the [[Proton Synchrotron]] to an energy of 26 [[giga|G]][[electron volt|eV]] and then smashed into an [[iridium]] rod. The protons bounce off the iridium nuclei with [[mass–energy equivalence|enough energy for matter to be created]]. A range of particles and antiparticles are formed, and the antiprotons are separated off using magnets in [[vacuum]].