Antimatter atom trapped for first time, say scientists

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Antimatter atoms have been trapped for the first time, scientists say.

Researchers at Cern, home of the Large Hadron Collider, have held 38 antihydrogen atoms in place, each for a fraction of a second.

Antihydrogen has been produced before but it was instantly destroyed when it encountered normal matter.

The team, reporting in Nature, says the ability to study such antimatter atoms will allow previously impossible tests of fundamental tenets of physics.

The current "standard model" of physics holds that each particle - protons, electrons, neutrons and a zoo of more exotic particles - has its mirror image antiparticle.

Read more @ BBC News

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LookingToSee — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 - 22:10

too cool

but whats meant by matter?

That was first accomplished by two groups in 2002. But handling the "antihydrogen" - bound atoms made up of an antiproton and a positron - is trickier still because it must not come into contact with anything else.

anything?! what thing?

LookingToSee — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 - 18:00

[quote=Truth's_Razors][quote=Lilly]too cool

but whats meant by matter?
[/quote]

Lil - THIS is what you'd be studying if you picked up PHYSICS![/quote]

Truth - this is what I'd be studying if MY COLLEGE offered Physics. There's been talk of them doing in NEXT year 😃

LookingToSee — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 - 19:36

[quote=ThE pOwEr Of SiLeNcE]Your college doesn't offer physics?!!!!!!! :O Theres only 4 people in the physics class in my college.[/quote]

FOUR?!?! pretty cool..get one to one stuff and if you dont get it...then... =/

yep..well..sixth form..and girl only..soo...i would love to do english lang and now physics..but what would i drop...psychology and...hmm...

TPOS — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 - 19:45

[quote=Lilly][quote=ThE pOwEr Of SiLeNcE]Your college doesn't offer physics?!!!!!!! :O Theres only 4 people in the physics class in my college.[/quote]

FOUR?!?! pretty cool..get one to one stuff and if you dont get it...then... =/

yep..well..sixth form..and girl only..soo...i would love to do english lang and now physics..but what would i drop...psychology and...hmm...[/quote]

:S How/why would you drop anything when your college doesn't offer it?