GoKawiil
Tech News
Researchers report successfully capturing and holding positrons, the antimatter equivalent of electrons, using a trapping technique described in a Nature briefing discussion. The achievement allows scientists to study the particles' properties in a controlled setting over an extended period.
CERN's BASE-STEP experiment built a compact catching trap using 15 stacked electrodes and magnetic confinement to capture antiprotons from a degraded beam, cool them with cotrapped electrons, and clean out contaminant particles like electrons and negative ions through voltage ramping and dipolar drives. The particles are then moved into a compensated Penning trap at the center of the device for stable, non-destructive detection and storage.