1. Zoe Zontos
February 21, 2013
What’s the Matter? The Antimatter!
Science is always introducing the world to new discoveries every day. One such discovery that
has created a new way of viewing the physical world is antimatter. Many people today now view
antimatter as the opposite of matter; however, it is much more complex than simply stating it that way,
and before the discovery of antimatter, many people speculated how one could possibly exist without
the other. Antimatter has now opened science to new areas of discovery including new alternatives to
energy, weapons, and the creation of the universe and the meaning of life.
In order to understand antimatter, one must first understand the history behind it. The concept
of antimatter was first brought up in 1928 by British scientist Paul Dirac when he attempted to bridge
quantum mechanics and the quantum theory with Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Following the
research and experiments that Dirac conducted, he came to the conclusion that for every particle, there
is a corresponding antiparticle. However, at this point in time, Dirac could only conclude his experiment
as a prediction, not reality. In 1932, following Dirac’s theory, another scientist, Carl Anderson, observed
a certain particle that had the mass of an electron that acted as though it had a positive charge. About
two decades later, other antiparticles came to be discovered; in 1955, Owen Chamberlain and Emilio
Segre discovered the antiproton using a particle accelerator. After the discovery of the antiproton in
1955 and the discovery of the antineutron in 1956, physicists at CERN were finally able to successfully
detect nine atoms of anti-hydrogen (Willey). In 1964, the charge-parity was “broken” for the K-meson
particle which eventually led to the first observation that matter and antimatter were dictated by
slightly different physical laws. Nearly forty years after this discovery, another particle (B-mesons) and
antiparticle was found to decay at different rates in 2001, again reinforcing the observation that matter

2. and antimatter have different properties. Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory then came to discover
a change-parity in 2010 that was about fifty times larger the effect of the change-parity found in K-
mesons and B-mesons previously; this discovery would come to contradict the standard model of
particle physics (Hellemans). And then, in November of 2010, there was a breakthrough at CERN:
physicists were successful in creating and capturing the first forms of antimatter for about one-sixth of a
second (“Breakthrough”).
What exactly is antimatter, and why is it important? Antimatter is much more complex than
simply saying that it is the opposite of matter. Following the discovery of the first particle of antimatter,
the positron, the reality of antimatter now supports the evidence that every particle must result in a
corresponding and opposite antiparticle. The production of both is possible anytime there is sufficient
energy given to create a balance of mass-energy. However, the properties and the laws of physics that
govern matter are slightly different from the properties and laws of physics when concerning
antimatter. Antimatter does not last long; when antimatter and matter come into contact, the two
annihilate each other, thus, making it difficult to currently produce and maintain any amount of
antimatter for prolonged periods of time. For the most part, matter and antimatter have symmetry;
however, the small asymmetry that is present correlates with the fact that matter outlives antimatter in
the universe (“What Is Antimatter?”). Antimatter is important in understanding how the universe was
created and what was occurring as the universe was being formed (if one is a supporter of the Big Bang
Theory). Now that antimatter has been discovered, the question of why matter was not destroyed and
why most antimatter was destroyed following the birth of the universe will hopefully become more lucid
(“Origins”). Other reasons for the importance of the discovery and creation of antimatter lie in
alternative energy sources and the future of space travel. Antimatter can potentially have the capacity
to provide large amounts of energy while taking up small amounts of space. Since antimatter can
produce large quantities of energy in relatively tiny amounts, the future of energy and travel is

3. frequently brought up, however, the problem is that it is not yet known whether vehicles and antimatter
will be compatible and the creation of antimatter is currently an extremely expensive source of
alternative energy (Willey). Despite the current obstacles that must be overcome, the creation of
antimatter will help in revealing more information about the elusive “Why are we here?” question and
explain and expand upon the current laws of nature and what scientists currently know about life and
the universe (“Origins”).
Antimatter has opened the door to many new questions as well as new answers in science. But
in order to observe and continue research and experimentation with antimatter, scientists must be able
to find antimatter. Is antimatter created and observable anywhere else besides the laboratories of the
world’s most prominent research facilities? The asymmetry that is present between matter and
antimatter suggests that there is antimatter that is naturally created or that has remained in the
universe since its creation. The big question that physicists and scientists want to figure out is whether
the antimatter that was present at the birth of the universe is still present and, if so, where is it hiding?
It is thought by some that antimatter is still present in the universe; it is just hiding in other galaxies
(antimatter galaxies) which are indistinguishable from a galaxy made up of matter. However, scientists
are now looking at gamma-rays and particles that enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Galactic particles that
interact with intergalactic antimatter will annihilate each other and produce gamma rays; these rays
exude material that could potentially be antimatter. If there are antiparticles that are present and
entering the atmosphere, they will annihilate upon contact with the atmosphere filled with matter.
Using detectors in the Earth’s atmosphere could potentially be a more encouraging way to find evidence
of intergalactic antimatter. Other interstellar bodies such as supernovae or pulsars could be potential
sources of antimatter as well (Hellemans). Until evidence of this type of antimatter is found, physicists
can continue to observe man-man antimatter that is currently being created at labs such as the
accelerators at CERN with high-energy particle collisions which result in antiparticles. Physicists then

4. study the properties and behavior of these antiparticles and look for more evidence of the asymmetry
that is known between matter and antimatter. Current experiments are being held in order to compare
the differences between matter and antimatter; using the accelerators to create antiparticles and
making the precise measurements of the high-energy collisions that are used to create the antiparticles
(Origins). As technology and science continue to make advancements, antimatter research technology
will continue to grow; hopefully, it will one day help make physical observation and experimentation
considerably easier for scientists and physicists to detect and study antimatter that is either present in
the universe or manually created in a laboratory.
The subject of antimatter has come a long way since its conception in 1928 when scientist Paul
Dirac attempted to bridge quantum theory with the theory of relativity. Thanks to his prediction, the
first evidence for positron antiparticles was introduced, as well as the idea that every particle had an
opposite and corresponding antiparticle (Hellemans). It was this concept that led to the final creation of
antimatter in November of 2010. CERN created thirty-eight anti-hydrogen atoms and preserved them
for one-tenth of a second each (“Breakthrough”). The creation of real antiparticles is probably one of the
greatest accomplishments in particle physics of the twenty-first century. Scientists and physicists now
have a new way to research and understand how the universe was created, the slight asymmetric
relationship between matter and antimatter, and other possibilities such as a new source of energy and
the future of space travel; even the possibility of future antimatter weapons. Antimatter is no longer a
made-up concept of science fiction; it is real and it is a breakthrough in science. Scientists have known
about matter for hundreds of years; did any physicist ever think about what the mirror opposite to
matter might be? ”Symmetry has always captivated the human mind and has long been the earmark of
beauty. The Universe around us exudes this very same ideal: for every particle there is an antiparticle.
Yet the Universe’s symmetry is not perfect” (Willey). Just as Newton states in his second law that for
every action there is a reaction, now scientists can exclaim that for every particle there is an antiparticle.

5. It is in the discovery and creation of antimatter that mankind will continue to be awed and search for
the meaning behind life and the formation that is the vast and mysterious universe.

6. Works Cited
"Breakthrough! Scientists Create and Capture Antimatter." Fox News. FOX News Network, 17 Nov. 2010.
Web. 18 Feb. 2013.
Hellemans, Alexander. “Understanding Antimatter.” Astronomy39.8 (2011): 24-29. Readers’ Guide Full
Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
"Origins: CERN: Ideas: Antimatter | Exploratorium." Exploratorium: The Museum of Science, Art and
Human Perception. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2013.
"What Is Antimatter?: Scientific American." What Is Antimatter?: Scientific American. N.p., 18 Oct. 1999.
Web. 20 Feb. 2013.
Willey, Andrew. “What’s The Matter With Antimatter?” Mercury34.6 (2005): 12-15. OmniFile Full Text
Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 20 Feb. 2013.