experimental physics
june 2015
BY andrew lee
Anti-Physics: Ways to produce more Antihydrogen
14
If you are bored in your AP Physics class, you probably might enjoy AP Anti-physics.
After the Big Bang, scientists have thought that equal amounts of matter and antimatter are produced (a balance of opposites). We are aware of matter, but we do not know where antimatter exists. In order to answer our questions about antimatter, the CERN [the European Organization for Nuclear Research] plans to do gravitational and spectroscopic experiments with antimatter--specifically with antihydrogen.
Antimatter is made up of antiparticles, which are particles having the same mass as antimatter, but have opposite charge. Antihydrogen is electrically neutral as it contains an antiproton (negatively-charged proton) and a positron/antielectron (positively-charged electron). The fact that antihydrogen has only two particles makes it relatively easy to produce.
Interestingly enough, scientists at CERN in 2002 have already produced antihydrogen in the first experiments with the concept, and in 2010
FUN FACT: This cartoon is made by the people at CERN!