ANTIMATTER, the most elusive building block of the Universe, has been
captured for the first time.
According to the standard model of particle physics, every particle has a
corresponding antiparticle with the same mass and opposite charge. The pair
annihilate each other on contact, releasing a burst of energy. Scientists have
wondered if they can harness this energy, but they have found it difficult to
make and control antiatoms. Seven antihydrogen atoms were detected in a particle
accelerator at Fermilab near Chicago in 1996, but they were moving at almost the
speed of light—too fast to be stored or studied.…
