"When anti-matter attacks..."

Joan Marler
Lawrence University 

"When anti-matter attacks. . ." is the first line of a recent popular science article¹ highlighting research performed at UCSD.  Seriously, there is no need for alarm but recent progress in the ability to accumulate, cool and manipulate anti-matter is leading to an increased presence of anti-matter particles in fundamental research and in applications.  I will discuss UCSD's state-of-the-art scheme for positron (i.e. the anti-electron) trapping and beam formation.  This technology has been exploited in low-energy atomic physics experiments at UCSD and for the formation of large numbers of anti-hydrogen atoms at CERN.  Also, I will give an overview of new applications involving the positron in biophysics and condensed matter.   

¹ E.S. Reich, New Scientist April 24, 2004