Antihydrogen and Antiproton Studies

Northwestern University, Evanston IL

Investigators

Abstract

The antihydrogen atom, a bound state of a positron and an antiproton, is the simplest atom made entirely of antimatter. This unusual atom has been produced and suspended within magnetic fields that keep the antimatter atoms suspended at a central location. The intellectual merit of precise comparisons of the properties of the antihydrogen atoms and their matter counterpart arises from the possibility of testing the prediction of the most fundamental physics theory, namely that matter and antimatter particles are "exactly opposite", with charges of opposite sign and masses that are identical, and that antimatter atoms and matter atoms have precisely the same properties. There are good reasons to believe that the most fundamental physics theory is not a complete description. Discovering a difference between the structure of antimatter and matter atoms would thus lead to an improved theory of fundamental physics, the consequences of which are potentially important for science and future technology. Moreover, this research is the training ground for some of the most gifted science students and postdocs, preparing them for the successful careers in science and technology that are needed for a technological society to thrive. Methods developed for such fundamental research typically find their way into more common applications. Finally, many lectures on this science are used to educate students, professional scientists, and the general public.