A team of researchers used a component similar to the one in your phone to observe an ultra-rare phenomenon. Thanks to it, they were able to photograph the annihilation of antimatter. An impressive advance made possible by a component you use every day.
When we think about When we think of antimatter, we imagine abstract concepts or science fiction films. However, it is very real. For example, researchers recently detected a rare particle: antihyperhydrogen-4, created during high-energy experiments. This is a “mirror” version of matter, composed of particles like the positron, the opposite of the electron. Today, it is a technology from our smartphones that helps observe it up close. This discovery illustrates how everyday components can become cutting-edge tools for exploring the mysteries of the universe.
Researchers from the AEgIS collaboration at CERN modified a photo sensor similar to those found in phones. Once integrated into an experimental system, it succeeded in capture images of antiproton annihilation. That is, the moment when the antiproton comes into contact with matter, causing the emission of small particles. In the images, these events appear as tiny starbursts. More than 2,500 have been analyzed, each leaving a visible and measurable trace, allowing the secondary particles emitted to be studied in detail.
Smartphone camera sensors are used to detect antimatter
The sensor used is a CMOS model, widely used in our smartphone cameras. After removing certain layers and adapting the assembly to a vacuum environment, the researchers were able to detect events with exceptional precision. By combining 60 sensors, they achieved a record resolution of 0.6 micrometers, for a total of 3840 megapixels. This level of precision makes it possible to identify traces left by protons, pions, and other fragments resulting from the annihilation. The whole thing works in real time, which represents a major advance over older techniques using photographic plates.
This technology allows us to better understand phenomena that are still very unclear for scientists. For example: why does the universe contain almost entirely matter when antimatter was initially thought to exist in equal quantities? How does it react to gravity? And could it exist en masse elsewhere in the universe? Thanks to a sensor from our everyday lives, these big questions now have new tools to move forward. In the future, this technology could also be used in other fields, such as medical imaging or space research.
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