Longest Antimatter Containment

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In summary, the conversation discusses the longest antimatter containment achieved by the Alpha project at CERN in 2011, which was over 16 minutes. It is questioned if this record has been beaten and what the limiting factor is. It is speculated that the imperfect vacuum and eventual annihilation over time may be the limiting factors. However, it is noted that BASE was able to keep antiprotons for more than a year without detectable annihilation, but containing neutral antihydrogen is more challenging. Additionally, the estimated annihilation timescale is 10,000 to 100,000 seconds. More information can be found in the paper on this topic.
  • #1
Nabla
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Hello,

From what I read, the longest antimatter containment ever achieved was >16 minutes by the Alpha project at CERN in 2011.

Has this ever been beaten?
What is the limiting factor?...the anti-hydrogen will always have a magnetic moment to be held by the magnetic field of the trap, so is it the fact that it exists in an imperfect (though very strong) vacuum, and eventually annihilates over time?

Haven't been able to find much info on this.

Thanks
 
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  • #2
BASE kept antiprotons for more than a year, with no detectable annihilation.
Containing charged antiprotons is much easier than containing neutral antihydrogen. The trap potential for antihydrogen is much shallower, so more atoms escape over time.

I didn't see an update. They clearly saw some antihydrogen atoms left after 1000 s, and probably (2.6 sigma significance) some after 2000 s.
The annihilation timescale is estimated to be 10,000 to 100,000 seconds, so annihilation is a small effect.
More details in the paper
 
  • #3
mfb said:
so annihilation is a small effect.
Unless you are there when it happens
 

What is antimatter?

Antimatter is a form of matter that is composed of antiparticles, which have the same mass as their corresponding particles but opposite electric charge.

Why is antimatter important in containment?

Antimatter is important in containment because it has the potential to produce vast amounts of energy when it comes into contact with matter. Therefore, it is crucial to contain it properly to prevent any catastrophic reactions.

What is the longest antimatter containment achieved so far?

The longest antimatter containment achieved so far is 16 minutes and 40 seconds, achieved by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in 2011.

What are the challenges in achieving longer antimatter containment?

The main challenges in achieving longer antimatter containment include finding ways to store and control antimatter particles without them coming into contact with regular matter, and developing materials that can withstand the high energy levels produced by antimatter reactions.

What are the potential applications of longer antimatter containment?

Potential applications of longer antimatter containment include energy production, medical imaging and cancer treatment, and space propulsion. It could also help us better understand the origins of the universe and the fundamental laws of physics.

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