Pair production is a process in which energy is converted into matter, specifically creating a particle and its corresponding antiparticle. This phenomenon typically occurs when a high-energy photon, such as a gamma ray, interacts with a strong electromagnetic field, often near a nucleus. The energy of the photon must exceed a certain threshold, which is equivalent to the combined rest mass energy of the two particles. The most common example of pair production involves the creation of an electron and its antiparticle, a positron. When the energy of the incoming photon is sufficient, it can produce these two particles, which then can exist independently. This process illustrates the relationship between energy and matter as described by Einstein's famous equation, E=mc².