September 27, 2023 — Scientists at CERN have provided new evidence that antimatter particles behave under gravity in a way consistent with Einstein’s 1915 theory of relativity. For the first time, researchers observed that antimatter “falls downward” — just like ordinary matter.
Using a 25-centimetre experimental chamber called ALPHA-g, physicists trapped roughly 100 extremely cold antihydrogen atoms. Then, by gradually weakening the magnetic field, they allowed the particles to escape through either end of the cylinder. Counting where they emerged revealed that about 80% exited through the bottom — a proportion comparable to how normal hydrogen atoms would behave in the same setup.
To verify consistency, the team repeated the experiment over a dozen times with varying magnetic strengths. The results confirm that gravity pulls antimatter downward, though they stop short of proving that antimatter falls identically to regular matter under all conditions.
Researchers call this a significant step in understanding how gravity interacts with antimatter, though they caution that further precision studies are required to draw more definitive conclusions.
