Inverse beta decay is a process that occurs in certain types of interactions in particle physics, specifically in the context of weak interactions involving neutrinos. In this process, a neutrino interacts with a neutron, resulting in the transformation of the neutron into a proton while effectively producing an electron (or positron, depending on the type of neutrino) in the process.
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In the reaction displayed here, an electron antineutrino interacts with a proton to produce a Positron and a neutron. It turns an otherwise hard-to-observe incident particle into two products with different detection signatures. A prompt Positron signal followed by neutron capture can identify a candidate much more selectively than a single energy deposit. Inverse beta decay is a weak interaction; the incident electron antineutrino is detected through its reaction products.