Antimatter might sound like science fiction, but at CERN, scientists produce and study antiprotons every day.
At CERN’s Antiproton Decelerator (AD), researchers with the BASE experiment can even store antiprotons for over a year—a big achievement since antimatter particles vanish when they touch normal matter.
Currently, CERN is the only place in the world where scientists can store and study antiprotons.
However, researchers are working on changing that with a project called BASE-STEP. The goal is to build a transportable device that can store antimatter and move it to other labs for more detailed studies.
Recently, the BASE-STEP team took a big step forward by successfully transporting a group of 70 protons across CERN’s site using a truck.
Protons are positively charged particles found in the nucleus of every atom, and scientists used them as a practice run since they’re similar to antiprotons but safer to handle.
“If we can transport protons, we can transport antiprotons too,” said Christian Smorra, leader of the BASE-STEP project. “The only difference is that we need a stronger vacuum to keep the antiprotons safe.”
This successful test is the first time loose particles have been transported in a reusable device, which can be opened in a different lab and then used for other experiments. The ultimate goal is to create an antiproton delivery service, sending antimatter from CERN to other research centers.
Antimatter is like ordinary matter but with reversed charges and magnetic properties. It has puzzled scientists for decades.
According to physics, the Big Bang should have created equal amounts of matter and antimatter, but that didn’t happen. The BASE experiment is trying to understand why by carefully studying and comparing the properties of protons and antiprotons.
However, the AD hall’s equipment creates magnetic fluctuations, making it hard to get precise measurements. Stefan Ulmer, spokesperson for BASE, said, “To gain deeper insights, we need to move our studies elsewhere.”
The BASE-STEP team built a transportable trap that is small and sturdy enough to fit in a truck and withstand road vibrations. It weighs about 1,000 kilograms and requires two cranes to move it. Despite its size, it’s five times smaller than previous setups used to study antimatter.
During the test, scientists faced the challenge of keeping the trap cool enough using liquid helium. Any road delays could cause the temperature to rise above the magnet’s operating limit, potentially releasing the trapped particles.
In the future, the team plans to refine this technology and eventually transport antiprotons to their precision labs at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf. They’re even exploring options for a power generator on the truck, allowing longer transports across Europe.
After this successful test, the BASE-STEP team aims to transport real antimatter next year, opening the door to new research possibilities, not just for antiprotons but also for other exotic particles like highly charged ions. Another experiment called PUMA also plans to transport antiprotons to study exotic atomic nuclei.
This breakthrough marks an exciting step toward making antimatter more accessible for scientific research around the world.
