Researchers successfully cooled positronium atoms, significantly impacting antimatter research and enabling new experiments in quantum electrodynamics and the potential for an antimatter Bose-Einstein condensate.
The international AEgIS (Antimatter Experiment: gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy) collaboration at CERN, in which Prof. Giovanni Consolati of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology participates on behalf of the Politecnico di Milano, experimentally demonstrated, for the first time, positronium (Ps) laser cooling using a particular laser system (alexandrite-based), specifically developed to meet the requirements of cooling: high intensity, large bandwidth and long duration of the pulse.
The equivalent temperature of the Ps atoms exiting from a porous target (at room temperature) hit by a positron beam decreased from 380 K to 170 K, corresponding to a decrease of the transversal component of Ps rms velocity from 54 km/s to 37 km/s.
The Unique Nature of Positronium
Ps is a minor brother of hydrogen, with a positron replacing the proton. Consequently, it is lighter than hydrogen by about a factor 2000 and energy levels are reduced by a factor 2. It is unstable: in vacuum and in the ground state, with parallel spins of the two particles, it annihilates with a lifetime of only 142 ns. Ps cooling has to occur during its short lifespan and this makes the process so challenging with respect to ordinary atoms. Use of a large bandwidth pulsed laser has the advantage of cooling a large fraction of the positronium cloud while increasing their effective lifetime, resulting also in a higher number of Ps after cooling for further experimentation.
Let’s not forget that Data had a positronic neuronetwork. Don’t forget how many times Scotty saved the day by switching the anti-matter coupler to restore the warp drive.
In real life, it would be the ultimate weapon. Unleash that on someone is a can of whoop ass.
Delusions of Adequacy 