Northwestern physicists hold single antimatter particle for months in experiment

The short version

• Northwestern University physicists trapped a single positron, an antimatter particle, for months.[Wired]
• The team led by Gerald Gabrielse used a single-positron quantum cyclotron that holds the particle in a near-absolute-zero vacuum with electric and magnetic fields.[Wired]
• The work was published in Physical Review Letters, and so far it has shown no unexpected differences between electrons and positrons.[Wired]
• According to the American Physical Society, the setup could enable antimatter measurements about 30 times more precise than before.[Wired]

Key facts

• Northwestern University physicists trapped a single positron, an antimatter particle, for months.[Wired]
• The experiment was published in Physical Review Letters.[Wired]
• The team led by Gerald Gabrielse developed a single-positron quantum cyclotron.[Wired]
• The device uses electric and magnetic fields to hold the positron in a vacuum near absolute zero.[Wired]
• So far, the experiment has not revealed unexpected differences between electrons and positrons.[Wired]
• According to the American Physical Society, the setup could enable measurements about 30 times more precise than previous methods.[Wired]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Scientists Trapped an Antimatter Particle for Months to Study Its SecretsWired metered