Penning trap
Interior of a Penning trap.
A Penning trap is a device that uses a combination of low temperatures and electromagnetic
fields to store antimatter. While Penning
traps can only store incredibly small quantities, they will help in developing
the technologies needed for advanced propulsion concepts. The photo on the
left shows a Penning trap at the Laboratory for Energetic Particle Science
at Pennsylvania State University. The diagram on the right is a schematic
of the interior of the device. A cloud of antiprotons (the fuzzy bluish
spot) is kept cold and quiet by liquid nitrogen and helium and a stable
magnetic field.
Penning trap at Penn State |