The creation of an electron and a positron from a photon in a strong electric field, such as that surrounding an atomic nucleus. The electron and the positron each have a mass of about 9×10−31 kg, which is equivalent on the basis of the mass–energy equation (E=mc2) to a total of 16×10−14 J. The frequency, ν, associated with a photon of this energy (according to E=hν) is 2.5×1020 Hz. Pair production thus requires photons of high quantum energy (Bremsstrahlung or gamma rays). Any excess energy is taken up as kinetic energy of the products. At higher energies it is possible to have pair production of heavier particles and their antiparticles.