Scientists at CERN are taking some antiprotons out for a spin in a never-tried-before test drive.
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March 24, 2026 at 4:08 AM FILE - The globe of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, is illuminated outside Geneva, Switzerland, March 30, 2010. are taking some antiprotons out for a spin — a very delicate one — in a truck, in a never-tried-before test drive. If this so-called antimatter comes into contact with actual matter, even for a fraction of an instant, it will be annihilated in a quick flash of energy. So experts at theThe antiprotons are suspended in a vacuum inside a specially designed box and held in place by supercooled magnets. After easing them from the lab and onto the truck, the scientists are taking the antimatter on a half-hour drive to test how — if at all — the infinitesimal particles can be transported by road without seeping out. If all goes well, the antiprotons will be returned back to the lab. The hard part: Manipulating antimatter, like antiprotons, can be tricky business. As scientists understand the universe today, for every type particle that exists, there is a corresponding antiparticle, exactly matching the particle but with an opposite charge. If those opposites come into contact, they “annihilate” each other, setting off lots of energy, depending on the masses involved. Any bumps in the road on the test journey that aren't compensated for by the specially-designed box could spoil the whole exercise. Tuesday’s practice is a first step toward making good on hopes, one day, to deliver CERN antiprotons to researchers at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany, which is about eight hours away in normal driving conditions. The antiprotons have been encased in a 1,000-kilogram box called a “transportable antiproton trap.” It's compact enough to fit through ordinary laboratory doors and fit on a truck. It uses superconducting magnets cooled to -269 degrees Celsius that allows the antiprotons to be remain suspended in a vacuum — not touching the inner walls, which are made of ... matter. The mass in Tuesday's test — slightly less than that of about 100 hydrogen atoms — is so little, experts say, that the worst possible outcome is the loss of the antiprotons. Even if they do touch matter, any release of energy would be unnoticeable, only an oscilloscope, which picks up electrical signals, would be able to detect it. The trap, says CERN spokeswoman Sophie Tesauri, “is supposed to contain these antiprotons no matter what: if the truck stops, if it starts again, if it has to slam on the brakes — all that.” Work remains: The trap can contain the antiprotons on its own for only about four hours, and the drive to Düsseldorf is twice that.World Wide Web, for example, was invented here Heinrich Heine University is seen as a better place to study antiprotons in-depth, because CERN — with all its other activities — generates a lot of magnetic interference that can skew the study of antimatter.The center's Antiproton Decelerator, where a proton beam gets fired into a block of metal, causes collisions that generate secondary particles, including lots of antiprotons. It’s billed as a unique machine that produces low-energy antiprotons for the study of antimatter. CERN’s “Antimatter Factory,” lab officials say, is the only place in the world where scientists can store and study antiprotons. The center has been experimenting with antimatter for years, and has made breakthroughs on measurement, storage and interaction of antimatter. Two years ago, the team transported a “cloud” of about 70 protons — not antiprotons — across CERN's campus. It's a similar drill this time, except that with antiprotons, a much better vacuum chamber is needed, according to Christian Smorra, head of a team behind the apparatus designed to store and transport antimatter. Jittery test teams weren't available for interviews before the exercise, but were expected to explain the results afterward on Tuesday. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Watch 'Dangerous Lessons' Monday at 9 pmIs the 'smokable' hemp market about to be set ablaze?Should the city rename César Chávez Blvd?Day 3: Erica Hernandez recaps evidence shownSAPD says 12-year-old killed in a street racing crashPossible relief for a northeast side dangerous intersection.Blind man says security pushed him down stairs, beat him in parking lot of North Side barJury selection began on Monday in the case of Christopher Preciado
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