Scientists plan to transport volatile antimatter for first time
14 hours ago
- #particle physics
- #antimatter
- #Cern
- Cern is preparing for the world's first attempt to transport antimatter, a delicate substance that annihilates upon contact with normal matter.
- The test run aims to pave the way for transporting antimatter to other labs for precision measurements to understand why the universe is matter-dominated.
- Antimatter, predicted in 1928 by Paul Dirac, consists of particles identical to normal matter but with opposite charges.
- Equal amounts of matter and antimatter were created in the Big Bang, but the dominance of matter remains a mystery.
- Cern's Antimatter Factory produces antiprotons, but precision measurements require transporting them to specialized labs.
- A custom-built trap ensures antimatter remains isolated during transport, using ultra-high vacuum, extreme cooling, and electromagnetic fields.
- The test run will use battery power, but longer trips will require an onboard generator to maintain the trap's functionality.