The ALPHA experiment reports a measurement of the electric charge of
antihydrogen atoms, finding it to be compatible with zero to eight decimal places.
Alpha was the first experiment to trap atoms of
antihydrogen - neutral antimatter atoms held in place with a strong magnetic field for up to 1,000 seconds.
Antihydrogen is made of an antiproton and a positron.
The CERN team did so by using a powerful magnetic bottle that held an atom of
antihydrogen in its grip for 170 milliseconds.
"Athena was the first experiment to make
antihydrogen atoms," says Tara.
[17] have recently found a new kind of intermolecular interaction known as
antihydrogen bond.
Concerned with antiproton beams with kinetic energies of order keV or less, the papers delve into such topics as CPT symmetry and gravitation, the structure of exotic nuclei, atomic collisions, and atom physics in general, with particular focus on recent advances in manipulating large numbers of ultra-slow antiprotons and synthesizing
antihydrogen atoms.
EU Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin congratulated Geneva-based CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) on September 19 on its success in securing for the first time controlled production of a substantial amount of antimatter: 50,000 atoms of
antihydrogen. After mixing cold clouds of trapped positrons and antiprotons - the antiparticles of the familiar electron and proton - under closely-monitored conditions, researchers identified
antihydrogen atoms, formed when positrons bind together with antiprotons.
Their strategy is to deny access to a natural source of
antihydrogen, a necessary fuel source for Earth's ships.
A single atom of antimatter - in particular,
antihydrogen - may unlock fundamental mysteries of our universe and could lead to revolutionary advances in medicine and space travel.