physicist have made the first precise measurements of the properties ofantihydrogen – an atom dwell of an antiproton andpositron . The observations mate those of an average hydrogen speck . Although this was what theorists had forecast , it leaves unexplained one of physic ' expectant mystery story , which we ’d have been on the way to solving if the results had been dissimilar .
In most ways , antimatter is like a mirror look-alike of matter , with the same heap but opposite electric charges and some other fundamental aspect , a feature eff assymmetry . We ’ve studied antimatter give rise in atom accelerator and by cosmic rays , but since an antimatter particle annihilates on encountering affair , they do n’t commonly last very long , so measurements of how different antimatter particles interact with each other have been thin .
Professor Jeffrey Hangstof Aarhus University and workfellow have commence addressing this , observing the radiation released when a positron in antihydrogen changesenergy degree . InNature , they report the energy degree are within 2 percent of those in H if there is any difference at all . The measurements cover what is known as the Lamb shift , a remainder in the energy levels of two unrestrained negatron states , which were once bear to be identical . The Lamb shift ’s find in 1947 exhort the development of quantum electrodynamics .
One of the punishing thing to explain about the universe is why there is so much affair , and so little antimatter . model of the Big Bang intimate equal amounts of each should have been created , leaving the obvious enquiry of where all the antimatter went .
Physicists believe the near - absence seizure of antimatter today indicates symmetry ca n’t be perfect – in some way we do n’t yet realise why the prop of antimatter do n’t on the button reflect those of matter . It was hoped studying the transitions between energy level for a proton might give a suggestion of these difference .
A universe with equal amounts of topic and antimatter would not be a dependable place to have a planet , if one could even form while incessantly threatened by annihilation . scientist , however , regain “ it ’s necessary for aliveness ” a very disappointing explanation for why the universe has the composition it does . So far , however , we have n’t find anything better .
Hangst ’s methods demonstrate the difficulties of working with antimatter above the subatomic scale . To bring about just 20 antihydrogens to study he had to trap 90,000 antiproton at temperature of less than 1 Kelvin and drift 3 million positrons past . The products were then zap with 72,000 laser pulse at 12 dissimilar frequencies before being allowed to run to annihilate themselves by run into fence in matter . By counting the molecule yield off in the obliteration events for each different optical maser absolute frequency Hangst inferred the size of it of the antimatter energy transitions .
Three years ago Hangst ’s team were the first to observeantihydrogen ’s light spectrum .
