CERN's Large Hadron Collider finds the heaviest antimatter particle yet

CERN's LHC finds antihyperhelium-4, the heaviest antimatter yet.

: Scientists at CERN's Large Hadron Collider have detected the heaviest antimatter particle, antihyperhelium-4, in a 2018 experiment. This discovery, along with antihyperhydrogen-4, offers insights into the baryon asymmetry problem. By understanding these particles, physicists aim to resolve why matter dominated after the Big Bang. The discovery confirms equal creation rates of matter and antimatter.

Scientists at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, the most powerful particle accelerator, have detected the heaviest form of antimatter yet: antihyperhelium-4. This particle, discovered by the ALICE experiment team, is composed of two antiprotons, an antineutron, and an antilambda particle.

The discovery arose from a 2018 experiment where lead ions were collided at high speeds to mimic early universe conditions. Researchers employed machine learning to analyze the collision data, identifying signatures of antihyperhelium-4 and the lighter antihyperhydrogen-4.

These findings are crucial for exploring cosmic conditions when the universe was less than a second old and for addressing the baryon asymmetry problem. The results also reiterate that matter and antimatter are created equally, prompting questions on matter dominance post-Big Bang.