Since the discovery of antimatter decades ago, particle physicists have wondered if these particles were repulsed by gravity. Einstein predicted that despite having opposite charges to its regular matter counterparts, antimatter should still behave like matter does concerning gravity. This has been tricky to confirm experimentally since it’s hard to make enough antimatter to observe its behavior. Particle physicists have finally pulled it off, using the ALPHA-g experiment at CERN, generating antihydrogen atoms and then dropping them in a 3-meter tall vertical shaft.

[description taken from Fraser Cain’s mastodon post ]

  • Shurimal@kbin.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    9 months ago

    Let’s face it, the real motivation behind this experiment was “I really want to make some antimatter booms!”.

    I’ve known physicists IRL. Only bunch crazier are biologists.

  • Gamma@beehaw.org
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    9 months ago

    Darn, was hoping I could tape some to the bottom of my shoes and walk into space

    • AlolanYoda@mander.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      9 months ago

      Tape some onto the bottom of your shoes and you’re blasted into space so maybe there’s something in that idea