Storing Antimatter: Possibility of Containment and Current Research

[|mathematix|]

Is it possible to contain a sample of antimatter without it interacting and annihilating with matter?
Is there any research going into antimatter at the moment? Is it possible to create antimatter on Earth without using a particle accelerator?

 

[mfb]

Tiny amounts of antimatter (of the order of 1000 atoms) can be stored for something like 15 minutes.
More details

Is there any research going into antimatter at the moment?

Sure.

Is it possible to create antimatter on Earth without using a particle accelerator?

Beta+ decays produce positrons without particle accelerators.
For antiprotons, you need a particle accelerator.

 

[Bill_K]

Is it possible to contain a sample of antimatter without it interacting and annihilating with matter?

When the Tevatron was still operational, antiprotons were kept circulating in its main ring for ~10-12 hours at a time.

 

[mfb]

Right, it is easier with antiprotons alone. You can even trap them for several months.

 

[|mathematix|]

Are they contained using using magnetic confinement in a vacuum? What about uncharged antimatter, is it possible to contain it?
I read that all the antimatter ever produce on Earth produces enough energy to heat a cup of coffee.
Is it theoretically possible to produce antimatter economically and efficiently? Theoretically, what kind of technology would allow? Or is it so difficult that not even in a billion years we can create such technology?
Thank you for the replies :)

 

[mfb]

What about uncharged antimatter, is it possible to contain it?

See post 2.

I read that all the antimatter ever produce on Earth produces enough energy to heat a cup of coffee.

That is a good approximation, indeed.

Is it theoretically possible to produce antimatter economically and efficiently?

Economically for which application? No matter how you produce it (given the current knowledge of physics), it is very expensive.
The pure energy costs of 1gram of antimatter are several million dollars, take the production efficiency into account and you get a number in the billions to trillions. For a single gram! That is a bit more energy than the first nuclear weapon had. And the storage problem is another issue.

Theoretically, what kind of technology would allow?

Particle accelerators. Or completely new, undiscovered physics.

 

[|mathematix|]

Or completely new, undiscovered physics.

I am very curious! Most likely will never find out :(