Antimatter is fascinating not only for its essence but also for the still enigmatic role it played at the origin of the universe . Scientists still lack the necessary tools to understand the role of this form of matter with precision in the formation of the cosmos and the mechanisms that govern the delicate balance between matter and antimatter. Fortunately, what they do know are its constituent elements and some of its properties.
Understanding what antimatter is can be straightforward. We can observe it as an exotic type of matter composed of antiparticles. Antiparticles share the same mass and spin as the particles we encounter daily, but they possess opposite electric charge . For instance, the antiparticle of the electron is the positron , while the antiparticle of the proton is the antiproton .
The CERN has taken a step forward in the understanding of antimatter
Antimatter exhibits a surprising property: when it comes into direct contact with ordinary matter, both annihilate, releasing a significant amount of energy in the form of high-energy photons , along with other possible particle-antiparticle pairs. Currently, numerous research centers dedicated to particle physics globally study antimatter in the hopes that deeper understanding will unveil some of the mysteries of the cosmos that remain elusive.
<img alt="The arrival of AI to mathematics" width="375" height="142" src="https://i.blogs.es/52cece/iamaths-ap/375_142.jpeg"/>The CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), a premier particle physics laboratory near Geneva at the border between Switzerland and France , has the necessary resources to produce and manipulate antimatter . Two significant experiments that have already yielded important results are Gbar ( Gravitational Behaviour of Antimatter at Rest ) and alpha-g ( Antihydrogen Laser Physics Apparatus-Gravity ).
To carry out measurements with precision, cooling the antiprotons to less than 200 millikelvins is essential.
However, the main focus of this article is the Baryon Antibaryon Symmetry Experiment ( BASE ). This experiment aims to measure with the utmost precision the fundamental properties of antiprotons, such as their charge-to-mass relationship or intrinsic magnetic moment . A significant challenge in achieving this accuracy is the requirement to cool these particles to less than 200 millikelvins . While cooling antiprotons to such low temperatures is challenging, CERN physicists have developed methods to accomplish this.
The earlier devices used for this extreme cooling process required approximately 15 hours to cool a single antiproton, which compromised measurement accuracy. Fortunately, CERN physicists and engineers have designed a new device capable of performing this same job in just eight minutes . This innovative technology allows a drastic reduction in cooling time while maintaining precision, enhancing the laboratory’s study of antimatter significantly.
Thanks to this breakthrough, BASE physicists have successfully maintained an antiproton oscillating between two distinct quantum states for nearly a complete minute while being trapped. This accomplishment is phenomenal. It effectively allows researchers to create a qubit of antimatter, though we remain distant from achieving the technological capabilities to build a quantum computer that utilizes multiple these qubits. Nevertheless, this advancement is vital: it will enable BASE physicists to conduct antiproton moment measurements with precision increased by a factor of 10 to 100 times .
As new techniques and technologies continue to evolve, the potential to unlock the mysteries of antimatter broadens. Antimatter, with its incredible properties and connections to the universe’s fundamental structure, presents intriguing opportunities for exploration in both particle physics and cosmology.
Image | CERN
More information | CERN
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