A team of physicists determined that enigmatic ‘antinuclei’ can travel across the universe without being absorbed by the interstellar medium. The finding suggests we may be able to identify antimatter that is produced by dark matter in deep space.
The physicists estimated the Milky Way’s so-called transparency to antihelium-3 nuclei—meaning, how permissive the galaxy’s interstellar medium is to antinuclei zipping through space.
“Our results show, for the first time on the basis of a direct absorption measurement, that antihelium-3 nuclei coming from as far as the centre of our Galaxy can reach near-Earth locations,” said ALICE physics coordinator Andrea Dainese, in a CERN release.
Advertisement
Antimatter is not merely the stuff of sci-fi novels. It is a real, naturally occurring mirror to ordinary matter. Antimatter particles have the same mass but the opposite charges of their ordinary counterparts. Where electrons have a negative charge, their antimatter analogues, positrons, have a positive charge. Protons’ antimatter partners are the more simply named antiprotons.
This principle can be scaled up to the atomic level: E very atom has a nucleus—a core of protons and neutrons glommed together—but there are also antinuclei, composed of a ntiprotons and antineutrons. We know these exist because they were discovered in an experiment in 1965, when physicists observed antideuterons (the antimatter version of the deuterium atom) in a lab.
G/O Media may get a commission $3 per month Exclusive: Private Internet Access | 2 Years + 2 Months Subscription Privacy protection
We all need privacy, especially online. Your IP address and your browsing should be hidden from unecessary surveillance. Rest assured that PIA’s virtual private network never keeps any usage logs—ever. Shop at Private Internet Access Advertisement
The universe rocked into being 14 billion years ago, with a Big Bang that in theory should have created equal amounts of matter and antimatter. But look around you, or at the latest Webb telescope images: We live in a universe dominated by matter. An outstanding question in physics is what happened to all the antimatter.
The recent research team—a large, international collaboration of physicists—worked with the ALICE detector at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, beneath the ground near St Genis-Pouilly, France, to try to get a step closer to spotting the mysterious stuff.
Advertisement
ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment) is an 11,000-ton detector that investigates collisions between heavy ions and other particles, which allows physicists to probe some of the smallest, primordial, and most exotic masses in our universe.
In the recent experiment, the ALICE Collaboration attempted to measure the rate at which antihelium-3 nuclei (isotopes of helium’s antimatter counterpart) disappeared when they encountered ordinary matter. Their research is published in Nature Physics.
Advertisement
The study is not as much about the remarkable distances the antimatter particles can travel but “how many of the produced antihelium-3 would reach the detectors,” said study-co-author Laura Šerkšnytė, a physicist at Technische Universität Munchen and a member of the ALICE Collaboration, in an email to Gizmodo.
Advertisement
In other words, the team’s research is a helpful indicator that cosmic antinuclei detectors, like the AMS experiment aboard the International S pace Station and the upcoming GAPS balloon experiment in Antarctica, will have a fair chance at finding the vexing particles.
There are a few candidates for natural antinuclei sources in the universe; one is high-energy cosmic ray collisions with atoms in the interstellar medium, the stuff that occupies the space between stars. Another candidate—a core component of the recent study—is that a certain flavor of theorized dark matter particles called WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) emit antinuclei when they annihilate.
Advertisement
A third, more exotic idea is that antinuclei are given off by antistars, a theoretical object that—you guessed it—is a star composed entirely of antimatter.
Antinuclei from cosmic rays’ interactions with regular matter would have much higher energies associ ated with them than antinuclei born from dark matter annihilation events. There’s never been a confirmed detection of cosmic light antinuclei (‘ cosmic,’ meaning they float through space, and ‘ light, ’ referring to their mass ). Without detections of such antimatter particles in the wild , physicists’ best bet is in accelerators like the LHC.
Advertisement
The ALICE Collaboration separately modeled the Milky Way’s transparency to antinuclei that would emerge from dark matter WIMPs and cosmic ray collisions. They found a 50% transparency for the dark matter model and a range of 25% to 90% transparency for the cosmic ray model.
By their measure, antihelium-3 nuclei could make it several kiloparsecs (thousands of light-years) without being absorbed by ordinary matter in the interstellar medium.
Advertisement
“The idea of the paper was to show this transparency, and the fact that we can now use our measurement in all the future studies,” Šerkšnytė said.
The transparencies showed that “these antinuclei could actually be measured in principle,” Šerkšnytė added, noting that having these measurements gives future research teams a means of interpreting data from light antinuclei searches—in turn informing the search for dark matter.
Advertisement
So the findings are redeeming for antimatter nuclei detectors like AMS aboard the ISS and the GAPS balloon mission. AMS has so far collected data on 213 billion cosmic ray events and counting, troves upon troves of data to sift through for signs of antimatter. The second iteration of the experiment detected a few antihelium candidates in cosmic rays. Results from GAPS—expected to fly in late 2023—could independently confirm AMS’s antihelium detections.
You can think of the new research as idiomatic horse, which needs to be before the cart if you’re planning to get anywhere soon. If physic ists want to move forward in their understanding of the antimatter universe—where it is and how we can find it—and learn more about dark matter, they need to be able to find some antinuclei.
Advertisement
More: Could Antimatter Be the Portal Into the Dark Universe?
Antimatter Could Travel Through Our Galaxy With Ease, Physicists Say
- Advertisment - 
Recent Comments
on Iowa State starting RB Jirehl Brock among latest college football players charged in gambling probe
on The Rev. Al Sharpton to lead protest after Florida governor’s ban of African American studies course
on Sports World Hails ‘Superwoman’ Lindsey Vonn for Her Grand Comeback Despite Career-Changing Injury
on San Mateo County Community College District sues five companies over role in ‘pay to play’ scandal
on Saipan, placid island setting for Assange’s last battle, is briefly mobbed – and bemused by the fuss
on ‘Pokémon Scarlet’ and ‘Violet’ Fan Theories Suggest Legendary Time Travel, Alternate Dimension Plot
on Joe Manchin and Tommy Tuberville introduce bill on name, image and likeness rules for college sports
on Inside the Michael Jordan ‘Air’ movie, plus why NFL, others are buying into the sports film industry
on If you’re a frequent traveler, these wrap tops from Aday will revolutionize your on-the-go wardrobe
on How Does Jack Nicklaus Travel? Exploring the Private Jets Owned by the ‘Golden Bear’ Over the Years
on Hollywood Reporter: Tom Cruise negotiated with movie studios over AI before the actors strike began
on Ford Blue Cruise: US regulators investigate fatal crashes involving hands-free driving technology
on Dozens of boats cruise the Seine in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremony on July 26
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on David and Victoria Beckham so ‘Charmed’ by Tom Cruise They Have His Photos on Display at Their Home
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Boise State vs. Air Force live stream, odds, channel, prediction, how to watch on CBS Sports Network
on Biden to tout bill’s prescription drug prices, energy provisions in pitch to Americans, aide says
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Carlos Sainz’s Soccer Fanboy Emerges as Spaniard Shares Defining Moment With This Real Madrid Legend
on Biden: ‘At this point I’m not’ planning to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after toxic train derailment
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on Ahead of big sports weekend, dispute with Disney leaves millions of cable subscribers in the dark
on A heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine, killing at least 4 civilians
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Army vs. Coastal Carolina live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez Spreads Joy and Sportsmanship to the Youth of Loma de Cabrera
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on Dubai International Airport sees 41.6 million passengers in first half of year, more than in 2019
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on Dave Portnoy: Taylor Swift’s security should ‘drag Kim Kardashian to jail’ if she attends Eras Tour
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports, Serie A announce new TV rights deal; Paramount+ to air over 400 Italian soccer matches
on Cam Newton’s Violent Public Incident Draws Hilarious Reaction From 3x All-Star: “Where Do I Sign Up
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Angel Reese Launches Foundation Dedicated To Empowering Women Through Sports & Financial Literacy
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer