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A trap for positrons


Tiwari Vishal

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Positron, also called positive electron, positively charged subatomic particle having the same mass and magnitude of charge as the electron and constituting the antiparticle of a negative electron. When a positron hits an electron, both instantly annihilate in a flash of light. And since there are electrons in abundance everywhere on Earth, it is extremely difficult to store positrons in such a way that they survive for at least a while.

Now, scientists from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) have succeeded in losslessly guiding positrons. This discovery could pave the way towards creating a matter-antimatter plasma of electrons and positrons, like the plasmas believed to occur near neutron stars and black holes.

To trap positrons into a magnetic trap (very similar to that of the Earth or other celestial bodies), scientists applied an electrical voltage to the edge of the trap to guide the positrons through the magnetic bars. They then switched the voltage off again, thus the positrons remain trapped in the cage for a little more than a second.

Read Full Story Here: https://www.techexplorist.com/trap-positrons/21266/

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