From: Bob Higgins
Ø Regarding electrons and positrons in particular, Hotson rightly points out that these two particles are fermions. As fermions, they are forbidden to be in the same place at the same time, and so cannot annihilate. Instead of annihilation, they fall into orbit around each other. Protons are fermions. At the LHC, they routinely collide protons. These protons are said to disintegrate. Are you making a semantic distinction between “annihilation” and “disintegration”? Assuming there is no distinction, it would be extremely improbable that two fermions which are both matter could annihilate/disintegrate while two fermions, one matter and the other antimatter, could not annihilate/disintegrate.
