Antihydrogen atoms are captured for the first time

[RandomGuy]

THE history of physics is littered with the detritus of once-sacred assumptions. As better technology enables more exacting experiments, phenomena that were once scoffed at as impossible become the new norm. For this reason, physicists have long been searching for more sensitive means of probing the realm of antimatter, which theory holds should mirror the familiar world of matter. If precise comparisons of the two were to turn up differences, that would signal a fundamental flaw in understanding of the universe.

Now, a team of scientists working at CERN, Europe’s particle-physics laboratory, has announced a breakthrough in the quest for such tests. In the current issue of Nature, members of the ALPHA experiment report that they have been able to trap a very small amount of antihydrogen—the simplest type of anti-atom—for the first time. Since the hydrogen atom is one of the best-measured systems in all of science, this opens the door to a series of experiments testing just how similar matter and antimatter really are.

http://www.economist.com/sites/default/files/images/images-magazine/2010/11/20/ST/20101120_STP003.jpg

The symmetry between particles and antiparticles is woven deep into the foundations of physics. For each particle there should be a corresponding antiparticle with exactly the same mass and lifetime but with an opposite electrical charge. Bring the two together and they annihilate each other in a flash of energy. When anti-electrons (or positrons, as they are usually called) orbit antiprotons and antineutrons, the resulting anti-atoms should have the same energy levels as the common or garden variety. Furthermore, it is thought that gravity should pull on matter and antimatter in just the same way.

In reality, no one has ever been able to drop an anti-apple and watch it fall down (or up), and the antimatter produced in particle colliders is so energetic that it is hard to examine with the tools of precision physics. For decades, physicists at CERN and elsewhere have been trying to overcome these limitations with antihydrogen, which consists of a single positron orbiting a single antiproton. By shining laser light onto hydrogen or antihydrogen and observing which wavelengths are absorbed, the energy levels of the two can be compared in detail. And since hydrogen is electrically neutral, it should be possible to observe gravity’s tiny tug on it without the confounding effects of electrostatic attraction to other particles.

Antihydrogen atoms were produced in the past by several experiments at CERN. But they were so energetic that they immediately bumped into the walls of the experimental apparatus and were annihilated. Since then several teams have been trying to make colder antihydrogen and to hold on to it using clever configurations of electrical and magnetic fields. This is what ALPHA has just succeeded in doing.

Coaxing hot and bothered antiprotons and positrons to couple is quite a task. The magnetic traps employed to hold the antihydrogen are only strong enough to confine it if it is colder than around half a degree above absolute zero. The antiprotons themselves, which are produced by smashing regular protons into a piece of iridium, are around 100 billion times more energetic than this. Several stages of cooling are needed to slow them down before they can be trapped, forming a matchstick-sized cloud of around 30,000 particles. The positrons, produced by the decay of radioactive sodium, are cooled into a similarly sized cloud of around 1m particles and held in a neighbouring trap.

The antiprotons are then pushed into the same trap as the positrons and left to mingle for a second or so. In that time some of the particles get together and form antihydrogen. Next, an electrical field is used to kick out any remaining positrons and antiprotons. The electrically neutral antihydrogen atoms are left behind.

To test whether any antihydrogen was actually formed and captured in their trap, the ALPHA team turned off its trapping magnet. The antihydrogen was then free to wander towards the walls, and thus annihilation. The detectors duly observed 38 bursts of energy which the team concluded came from antihydrogen atoms hitting the wall of the trap.

Although the number of trapped atoms recorded was small, the team is optimistic. It has developed better techniques for cooling both positrons and antiprotons, which should allow it to trap more anti-atoms. Soon it will be able to see just how contrarian antimatter really is.

http://www.economist.com/node/17519521

[TDMVPDPOY]

is this useful to human beings? whats the benefits?

fkn lame

[Slomo]

That's actually pretty cool. Asimov loved to play with anti mater in his novels :)


P.S. @RG: :lol at your avatar

[Drachen]

is this useful to human beings? whats the benefits?

fkn lame

This response always slays me. Basic science (science without a pre-thought out purpose other than to understand how the universe works) is not only attractive for the pure knowledge, but is also one of the biggest producers of practical applications. Much greater leaps in technology come from the confluence of studies of basic science across several disciplines than from a concerted effort to go "Make this."

[mouse]

science without a pre-thought out purpose other than to understand how the universe works is not only attractive for the pure knowledge,"

I thought science already knew about how we got here and when, they even have pictures in the text books. They know the exact dates.

Let me get this straight as long as the topic is about Evolution,age of earth, or NASA the scientist are right and have all the answers.

But when the topic is about ways to spend money on something that isn't going to cure cancer, Science is in the dark, there is so much to learn?


You can't have it both ways. Publish text books in school that talk about our universe with so-called facts, and then play the dumb-ass card when it comes time to use tax dollars to play with some toys that aren't going do shit for the economy,cure serious diseases,or enable us to to get to work for a whole month on 25 cents worth of gas. Now that is Science we can all use.


If the universe is so complicated and our atoms are so fascinating then open the door to alternative design and stop telling us we all evolved from a gorilla.

[Drachen]

then play the dumb-ass card when it comes time to use tax dollars to play with some toys that aren't going do shit for the economy,cure serious diseases,or enable us to to get to work for a whole month on 25 cents worth of gas. Now that is Science we can all use.



Since this is the only mildly topical portion of your post I will respond to this. You don't think that understanding the energy properties of anti-matter could eventually lead "shit for the economy?". Pretty short sighted I think. You even gave a perfect example of something that this information could possibly be used for.... getting to work on 25 cents.

[TDMVPDPOY]

I thought science already knew about how we got here and when, they even have pictures in the text books. They know the exact dates.

Let me get this straight as long as the topic is about Evolution,age of earth, or NASA the scientist are right and have all the answers.

But when the topic is about ways to spend money on something that isn't going to cure cancer, Science is in the dark, there is so much to learn?


You can't have it both ways. Publish text books in school that talk about our universe with so-called facts, and then play the dumb-ass card when it comes time to use tax dollars to play with some toys that aren't going do shit for the economy,cure serious diseases,or enable us to to get to work for a whole month on 25 cents worth of gas. Now that is Science we can all use.


If the universe is so complicated and our atoms are so fascinating then open the door to alternative design and stop telling us we all evolved from a gorilla.

:toast

[Summers]

Never mind. I just don't have the energy or stomach for it. :lol

[mouse]

Since this is the only mildly topical portion of your post I will respond to this. You don't think that understanding the energy properties of anti-matter could eventually lead "shit for the economy?". Pretty short sighted I think. You even gave a perfect example of something that this information could possibly be used for.... getting to work on 25 cents.

Lets say you,the scientist, and everyone who disagrees with me in this topic is right about science and how there is so much to learn what happens when science discovers they can not only make their own planets and solar systems but can plant humans on these planets, will you and your science community be so thrilled they forget what they supported all those years, what will happen to your, their Darwin theories and man from Ape logic?

After all the dust settles will science prove to be God like?

[DarkReign]

After all the dust settles will science prove to be God like?

Extremely poor choice of words.

I dont believe youre remotely capable, but what the hell, right?

Think of a world and culture without any preconception about a "God", or even the word "God".

Now imagine that world and culture is advanced to our stage in scientific understanding.

Would this end game you propose about science's ultimate understanding resemble anything nearing a "God"?

Or is it that you, and basically everyone alive, have a preconceived idea about what being "God" is and that the advancement of science can be seen as something similar?

Without the limitations placed upon "God" that religion has shoved down humanity's throat (being human-like, creating the universe, moral relativism, etc) for something to the tune of 3000 years, would what science has achieved even be seen as anything more than just plain-old knowledge acquisition?

Is it ultimately your idea of "God" that is wrong and misguided and not science's haughty meglomania?

How much more powerful and wonderful would "God" be without all the limitations and parameters shackling "Him" by organized religion?

Something to think about, doubt that you do.

[MannyIsGod]

Why do people argue with Mouse when he rants on this shit?

[Mark in Austin]

Why do people argue with Mouse when he rants on this shit?

Maybe if we exert enough energy doing it an Anti-Mouse will be created... :lol

[rjv]

is this useful to human beings? whats the benefits?

fkn lame

i use antimatter and matter collisions in what i do at work. we work with PET scans (positron emission topography).

[mouse]

Extremely poor choice of words.


According to who, you? Would you like to choose my words for me, would that make you God like?

It's not my fault my deep intelligent mind is hard for people like you and MannyIsGod to comprehend.

Don't take it personal if call out the scientific community and show them how they put their foots in their mouths on a daily basis.

Funny how you can't make your point without trying to belittle people.

You have your little weak jabs as you try and show us all how massive your brain is on this subject you have to act as though your wasting your time trying to educate me. You forget we all have eyes, we have read your comments in the past, 98% of any topics I am in posting your sure to say something negative your like MannyIsGod a mouse hater so you lose major credibility when trying to make your points.

But just for shits and giggles (and hoping you can absorb this)
What if science is able to create a solar system or able to place life on another planet system like earth why would they not be look at as Gods?

I think all you Darwin lovers are really closet intelligent design people and are dreading the day when modern science will expose you as you have no choice but to embrace its accomplishments.

[Drachen]

Lets say you,the scientist, and everyone who disagrees with me in this topic is right about science and how there is so much to learn what happens when science discovers they can not only make their own planets and solar systems but can plant humans on these planets, will you and your science community be so thrilled they forget what they supported all those years, what will happen to your, their Darwin theories and man from Ape logic?

After all the dust settles will science prove to be God like?

That is kinda the point of science, to explain how things work. The most learned people 1000 years ago believed the earth to be flat. Then an experiment was done to test that theory and proved it to be wrong. Unlike you, I don't have blind faith. I understand that some things we believe today may be proven wrong. Science is dynamic, seeks to undercut its own beliefs in the search for knowledge. There is motivation to move forward. What physicist wouldnt relish proving all of einsteins theories wrong. There is competition with those that are long dead as well as those that are living. A perpetual thirst for knowledge and truth which creates a drive to understand more and more.

The alternative is to believe in staticicity. That all that is truth need not be tested and was written down between 6k and 1.75k years ago.

[Drachen]

According to who, you? Would you like to choose my words for me, would that make you God like?

It's not my fault my deep intelligent mind is hard for people like you and MannyIsGod to comprehend.

Don't take it personal if call out the scientific community and show them how they put their foots in their mouths on a daily basis.

Funny how you can't make your point without trying to belittle people.

You have your little weak jabs as you try and show us all how massive your brain is on this subject you have to act as though your wasting your time trying to educate me. You forget we all have eyes, we have read your comments in the past, 98% of any topics I am in posting your sure to say something negative your like MannyIsGod a mouse hater so you lose major credibility when trying to make your points.

But just for shits and giggles (and hoping you can absorb this)
What if science is able to create a solar system or able to place life on another planet system like earth why would they not be look at as Gods?

I think all you Darwin lovers are really closet intelligent design people and are dreading the day when modern science will expose you as you have no choice but to embrace its accomplishments.

You are forgetting perspective. If science advanced to that point, then travelled back in time and showed us, perhaps some (likely those predisposed to blind faith) would look upon them as gods. Others would look upon them with curiousity and a thirst for knowledge. Barring time travel, their contemporaries would probably see it as a step forward in science, no different than any other.

[mouse]

That is kinda the point of science, to explain how things work. The most learned people 1000 years ago believed the earth to be flat. Then an experiment was done to test that theory and proved it to be wrong. Unlike you, I don't have blind faith. I understand that some things we believe today may be proven wrong. Science is dynamic, seeks to undercut its own beliefs in the search for knowledge. There is motivation to move forward. What physicist wouldnt relish proving all of einsteins theories wrong. There is competition with those that are long dead as well as those that are living. A perpetual thirst for knowledge and truth which creates a drive to understand more and more.

The alternative is to believe in staticicity. That all that is truth need not be tested and was written down between 6k and 1.75k years ago.

So your answer is yes?

[mouse]

You are forgetting perspective. If science advanced to that point, then travelled back in time and showed us, perhaps some (likely those predisposed to blind faith) would look upon them as gods. Others would look upon them with curiousity and a thirst for knowledge. Barring time travel, their contemporaries would probably see it as a step forward in science, no different than any other.

But the irony is the more science advances it gets closer to God like abilities and at the end Science will have proven there is a God by becoming one.

[ShoogarBear]

Why do people argue with Mouse when he rants on this shit?

God only knows.

[Drachen]

But the irony is the more science advances it gets closer to God like abilities and at the end Science will have proven there is a God by becoming one.

What is godlike about what today's scientists do? I honestly see nothing in what they do as being anywhere near godlike. Don't think about future advances at the moment because you would be distorting perspective.

[mouse]

If you can't see any God like qualities from cloning,DNA tampering,Atom capturing,cross breading,and new planet exploration, then I doubt I can make my point since your not on the same page as I.

Many humans today pray to some sort of God and it sometimes is the Sun they pray to. If the Sun turns out to be some huge gas lamp in some Science lab somewhere wouldn't that make them God like?

People worship the "creator" of the heavens and the earth if it turns out to be some scientist from a very advanced galaxy doesn't that make them our Gods?


if we are able to find a planet like earth and place plant animals and humans on it wouldn't science become God like?

The irony is science has spent century's proving to us there is no God just to become one themselves.

[greyforest]

seems like any science thread just gets derailed by fundies here

pretty sad

[Wild Cobra]

That's actually pretty cool. Asimov loved to play with anti mater in his novels :)


P.S. @RG: :lol at your avatar
Yes, it's very cool. They created actual antimatter.

Now all we need are dilithium crystals!

[mouse]

seems like any science thread just gets derailed by fundies here

pretty sad


Sad for who? The 100s of science professors that are to scared to post, or the 100s of science lovers who are to scared to post?

Either way the topic can go in any direction if you don't participate. Instead of whining like a tree hugging bitch put the topic back on track.
(see what you did you made the topic now focus on your lack of postings skills)

the folks at Budweiser want to salute you .."mr whinny get back on topic straightening outter"

[z0sa]

Why do people argue with Mouse when he rants on this shit?

Because he is the best troll on ST, and maybe of all-time.

[mouse]

Because he is the best troll on ST, and maybe of all-time.

psssssst! your supposed to wait awhile before you post or they will assume your me. :toast