The ALPHA experiment at CERN’s Antimatter Factory has achieved a spectacular scientific advance by increasing the rate of antihydrogen atom production eightfold. Antihydrogen is the simplest form of atomic antimatter, consisting of an antiproton and a positron (anti-electron).
This breakthrough was accomplished by developing a pioneering new technique to cool the cloud of positrons (anti-electrons) down to temperatures of around -266^{\circ}\text{C}. This ultra-cold state makes it far more likely for the positrons to merge with antiprotons and form trapped antihydrogen atoms.
The rapid production, now reaching over 15,000 antihydrogen atoms in a matter of hours, allows scientists to conduct unprecedented studies on the fundamental properties of antimatter. A key ongoing experiment, ALPHA-g, will use these increased numbers to investigate the effect of gravity on antimatter, addressing one of the biggest unsolved mysteries in physics.
