Transportation of antiprotons to CERN by truck

# First Successful Antiproton Transport by Truck at CERN

The BASE team at CERN has transported antiprotons by truck across the laboratory campus for the first time. This follows the 2024 proton test and is a key step toward moving antimatter between European laboratories. The BASE-STEP device ensured the particles were held in a Penning trap during transport.

Physical Context of the Experiment

Antimatter mirrors ordinary matter but with opposite charge and magnetic moment signs. The Big Bang asymmetry remains a mystery: equal amounts of matter and antimatter should have annihilated the Universe. The BASE experiment measures the magnetic moments of protons and antiprotons to search for CP violations.

Measurement precision is critical, but CERN's antimatter factory creates interference from equipment. Transporting to quiet laboratories solves this problem.

The BASE-STEP Device: Technical Details

BASE-STEP is a portable system for storing and transporting antiprotons. Key components:

• Penning trap: gold cylindrical electrodes made of oxygen-free copper.
• Superconducting magnet: operates at cryogenic temperatures.
• Vacuum chamber: carbon steel for shielding stray fields.
• Aluminum frame: compatible with forklifts and cranes, resistant to vibrations.

The system holds ~10^5 particles in a stable cloud.

Test with Protons and Transition to Antiprotons

In 2024, protons were transported for 4 hours across the Meyrin campus. The test confirmed stability: no particle loss, minimal interference. Antiprotons are the next stage, given their reactivity.

Truck transport simulated real conditions: vibrations, accelerations, external fields. Telemetry data showed preservation of vacuum and cryogenics.

Prospects for Symmetry Measurements

Transport will enable measurements in low-noise environments. Expected precision: comparison of magnetic moments with error <10^-10. This will test baryon asymmetry and models beyond the Standard Model.

BASE integrates data from ADMX and other setups for cross-validation.

Key Points

• First antiproton truck transport: a step toward inter-laboratory experiments.
• BASE-STEP: Penning trap in a portable cryogenic housing.
• Goal: measuring magnetic moment with extreme precision for CP violations.
• Previous proton test: 4 hours without losses.
• Application: searching for explanations of the Universe's baryon asymmetry.

— Editorial Team