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<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif"><b>Scientists succeed in
trek to capture atoms of antimatter</b><br>
<br>
News Release <br>
Embargo lifted at November 17, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. PST<br>
<br>
<br>
(Vancouver, BC) – Boldly going where the universe has not gone
before, scientists at the CERN laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland
have succeeded in capturing anti-matter atoms. In a paper
published today in Nature, physicists of the ALPHA Collaboration,
including key Canadian contributors, describe how they succeeded
in containing for the first time atoms of antihydrogen, the
antimatter partner of ordinary hydrogen. This breakthrough will
allow future detailed measurements of antihydrogen, giving
scientists a powerful new tool to help solve the age-old question:
“Why is there something, rather than nothing, in the universe?”<br>
<br>
Antimatter, or the lack of it, remains one of the biggest
mysteries of science. At the Big Bang, matter and antimatter
should have been produced in equal amounts, but since they
annihilate upon contact, shortly thereafter nothing should have
remained but pure energy (light). However, to date all
observations suggest that all the antimatter has vanished. To try
to understand what happened to “the lost half of the universe”,
scientists are eager to determine whether there is a difference in
the properties of matter versus antimatter that might offer an
explanation. The approach taken by the ALPHA collaboration will be
to compare a well-known system in physics, the hydrogen atom,
consisting of one proton and one electron, with its antimatter
counterpart, antihydrogen, consisting of an antiproton and an
antielectron.<br>
<br>
Antihydrogen atoms were first made at CERN eight years ago, but
couldn’t be stored, since the anti-atoms touched the
ordinary-matter walls of the experiments within millionths of a
second after forming and were instantly annihilated. The ALPHA
collaboration succeeded by developing a sophisticated “magnetic
bottle” using a state-of-the-art superconducting magnet to suspend
the antiatoms away from the walls. The experiment showed
definitive proof of antihydrogen atom capture for about a tenth of
a second. Very few were captured (nowhere near enough to power a
starship engine!), but their longevity was more than enough to
allow study. This result is the crucial step before commencing
detailed studies of antihydrogen. These antihydrogen atoms very
well may be the first contained antiatoms in the history of the
universe.<br>
A well-known aphorism proclaims that to understand the hydrogen
atom is to understand all physics. Makoto Fujiwara, spokesperson
for the ALPHA-Canada group, points out, “That is only half right -
we still have to understand antihydrogen.” CERN Director General
Rolf Heuer said, “These are significant steps in antimatter
research and an important part of the very broad research
programme at CERN.” CERN is the only laboratory in the world with
a dedicated low-energy antiproton facility to enable this type of
research.<br>
<br>
ALPHA-Canada scientists have been playing leading roles in the
antihydrogen detection and data analysis aspects of the
experiment, and also the development towards forthcoming
antiatomic structure studies. Richard Hydomako, a Ph.D. student of
Prof. Rob Thompson at the University of Calgary and a scholar
visiting Prof. Scott Menary at York University, played a crucial
role in the data analysis of the reported result. He said “It’s
been a rare privilege and learning experience taking part in this
groundbreaking international endeavor.” Important infrastructure
support came from TRIUMF in Vancouver, BC, which enabled Canadian
scientists to participate in an international project at the level
beyond what is normally possible by a single university group.
TRIUMF Director Nigel Lockyer was enthusiastic, “This is an
historic achievement and a real testament to the imagination,
ingenuity, and inspiration of the scientists and students from
TRIUMF, Canada, and around the world.”<br>
<br>
The ALPHA Collaboration is already exploiting the fruits of their
labour. Fujiwara notes that “As we speak, we are trying to
measure, for the first time, what colour antimatter atoms shine,”
referring to initial attempts to apply microwave spectroscopy on
the trapped antihydrogen, an effort led by Prof. Michael Hayden of
Simon Fraser University, and Prof. Walter Hardy of the University
of British Columbia. This effort is the next step in determining
the detailed atomic structure of antihydrogen, which could give
new clues on why there is so much something, rather than a lot of
nothing, in the universe.<br>
<br>
Financial support for ALPHA-Canada and its members comes from
NSERC (National Science and Engineering Research Council), NRC and
TRIUMF, AIF (Alberta Ingenuity Fund), the Killam Trust, and FQRNT
(Le Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les
technologies).<br>
<br>
<br>
###<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>For More Information</b><br>
ALPHA Collaboration website: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://alpha.web.cern.ch/alpha">http://alpha.web.cern.ch/alpha</a><br>
CERN antimatter information: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://angelsanddemons.cern.ch/">http://angelsanddemons.cern.ch/</a><br>
<br>
<b>About TRIUMF</b><br>
TRIUMF is Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear
physics. Located on the south campus of the University of British
Columbia, TRIUMF is owned and operated as a joint venture by a
consortium of the following Canadian universities, via a
contribution through the National Research Council Canada:
University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University
of Calgary, Carleton University, University of Guelph, University
of Manitoba, McMaster University, Université de Montréal, Queen’s
University, University of Regina, Saint Mary’s University, Simon
Fraser University, University of Toronto, University of Victoria,
York University.<br>
<br>
<b>About ALPHA-Canada</b><br>
ALPHA is a collaboration of 42 physicists from 15 institutions
from Canada, Brazil, Denmark, Israel, Japan, Sweden, UK, and the
USA. ALPHA-Canada currently consists of 8 senior scientists, 5
graduate students, and several professional staff from 5 Canadian
institutions. 15 out of 42 ALPHA co-authors in the reported work
are with ALPHA-Canada: Andrea Gutierrez, Sarah Seif El Nasr,
Walter Hardy (Univ. of British Columbia), Tim Friesen, Richard
Hydomako, Robert Thompson (Univ. of Calgary), Mohammad Ashkezari,
Michael Hayden (Simon Fraser Univ.), Scott Menary (York Univ.),
Makoto Fujiwara, David Gill, Leonid Kurchaninov, Konstantin
Olchanski, Art Olin, James Storey (TRIUMF). Spokesperson Makoto
Fujiwara is also an adjunct professor in Calgary.<br>
<br>
<br>
<b>TRIUMF Contacts<br>
<br>
</b>Dr. Marcello Pavan<br>
Outreach & Communications<br>
TRIUMF<br>
Tel: 604 222 7525<br>
Cell: 604 868 7466<br>
E-mail: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:outreach@triumf.ca">outreach@triumf.ca</a><br>
<br>
Dr. Makoto Fujiwara<br>
Research Scientist<br>
TRIUMF / U. Calgary<br>
Tel: +41-76-487-3828<br>
E-mail: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:makoto.fujiwara@triumf.ca">makoto.fujiwara@triumf.ca</a><br>
<br>
en français:<br>
Andrea Gutierrez<br>
Graduate Student<br>
UBC<br>
Tel: +41-76-487-3832<br>
E-mail: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Andrea.Gutierrez@triumf.ca">Andrea.Gutierrez@triumf.ca</a><br>
<br>
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