10 Years Ago Still Science Fiction: CERN Accelerates Antimatter Production
While the production of larger quantities of antihydrogen used to take weeks years ago, a single night is now sufficient. This helps fundamental research.
CERN's "Antimatter Factory"
(Image: CERN)
At the CERN research center in Geneva, 15,000 antihydrogen atoms can now be produced for research in a single night, which is eight times faster than before. This is made possible by a new approach in the ALPHA experiment at the antimatter factory there, those responsible explain. “These numbers would have been science fiction just ten years ago,” says the experiment's spokesperson, putting the speed of development into perspective. When, for example, the optical spectrum of antihydrogen was measured, the production of the necessary 16,000 particles took more than ten weeks.
Important Breakthrough for Research
As the research group explains, they first have to produce antiprotons and positrons, which are the antiparticles of protons and electrons, each with the opposite electrical charge. Before they combine to form antihydrogen, however, they must lose sufficient energy, i.e., cool down. This is particularly difficult with positrons, which is why a new approach was tried. By adding laser-cooled beryllium ions, this could be significantly accelerated. The positron cloud thus reaches a temperature of -266 degrees Celsius much faster. When it is then mixed with antiprotons, the formation of antihydrogen is much more likely. More than 15,000 of them are produced in less than seven hours.
With the new procedure, more than two million antihydrogen atoms have already been produced between 2023 and 2024, the team further writes. The "unprecedented" number of available particles is currently being used to investigate the effect of gravity on antimatter. Thanks to the immense number of objects of study, the new production method enables more precise measurements at much higher speeds. Therefore, it represents a real breakthrough. The group presents its method in a scientific article, which has now been published in the journal Nature Communications.
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Antimatter consists of antiparticles, i.e., particles that differ from conventional particles only in their opposite charge. Whether there is really no other difference and why the universe as we know it consists only of conventional matter are among the great mysteries of physics. To solve this, research on antimatter is needed not only at CERN. Therefore, work is also underway to transport antimatter to research institutions throughout Europe. Initial tests have already been successful. The stated goal of the work is the possibility of transporting antimatter via public roads, for example, to a laboratory in DĂĽsseldorf.
(mho)
