A threshold gate checks energy budget before full acceptance. Exact arithmetic here means exact results for the stated model inputs; measured inputs still carry uncertainty and significant-figure limits.

highlighted = computed this step

Enough energy passes the threshold gate

Two opposite photons can supply 100 J plus 100 J, matching the pair-at-rest rest-energy cost 200 J.

100+100=200200100+100=200\ge200
Threshold energyAvailable energy is compared to rest-energy cost.availableEnergy=200 JrequiredEnergy=200 Jaccepted

Too little energy fails the threshold gate

If the two-photon setup supplies only 150 J, the energy budget is below required energy 200 J, before momentum closure is even tested.

150<200150<200
Threshold energyAvailable energy is compared to rest-energy cost.availableEnergy=150 JrequiredEnergy=200 Jrejected