Relation to antimatter research
Non-neutral plasma techniques (Penning traps) very successful in confining antimatter (C. Surko et al.)
- Extremely long confinement times (days)
- 3*108 positrons in one trap
- Can only confine low energy particles (electrostatic limit)
- Positrons must be moderated from 0.5 MeV range to 1-10 eV range
- Antiprotons must be moderated from GeV range to 1-10 eV range
- Can only confine species of one charge at a time
- Problem for antihydrogen production
- Problem for electron-positron plasmas