tech
March 14, 2026
Please drive carefully: scientists plan to transport volatile antimatter for first time
Cern researchers are testing traps capable of moving antimatter, which explodes into energy as soon as it comes into contact with regular matter
TL;DR
- Cern is planning a 20-minute test run to transport antimatter, marking the first attempt of its kind.
- Antimatter, when meeting normal matter, is consumed in a burst of energy.
- Successful transport would allow Cern to move antimatter to other laboratories for precision measurements.
- These experiments aim to answer why our universe is made of matter and not antimatter.
- Antimatter is produced at Cern's Antimatter Factory by smashing protons into a target, creating antiprotons which are then captured and slowed down.
- The antimatter is contained in a specialized trap under ultra-high vacuum and cooled to -269C, using strong magnetic and electric fields.
- The test run will use batteries lasting about four hours, while longer trips will require a dedicated generator.
Continue reading the original article