Physicists Trap Single Antimatter Particle for Months Using New Device

Physicists at Northwestern University successfully trapped a single antimatter particle for months by cooling it to near absolute zero. Antimatter is notoriously difficult to study because it annihilates upon contacting ordinary matter. The team focused on a positron, which is the antimatter counterpart of an electron.

The New Method

Led by Gerald Gabrielse, the researchers built a device called a single-positron quantum cyclotron. It uses electric and magnetic fields to hold the particle in a vacuum. This setup kept the positron at its lowest energy state without destroying it. The team could then control its quantum states with great precision and repeat measurements over several months.

Why It Matters

Scientists want to compare the magnetic properties of electrons and positrons to find any hidden differences. According to the American Physical Society, this new device can make antimatter measurements about 30 times more precise than past methods. So far, the experiment has not found any unexpected differences between the two particles.

Context

Physics theory predicts that the universe should have equal amounts of matter and antimatter, but nearly everything we observe is made of ordinary matter. Researchers study these rare antiparticles in laboratories to solve this grand mystery. Their findings could eventually force scientists to rewrite laws explaining how matter behaves.