A Penning trap is a device for the storage of charged particles using a homogeneous magnetic field and a quadrupole electric field. It is mostly found in the physical sciences and related fields of study as a tool for precision measurements of properties of ions and stable subatomic particles, like for example mass,[1] fission yields and isomeric yield ratios. One initial object of study was the so-called geonium atoms, which represent a way to measure the electron magnetic moment by storing a single electron. These traps have been used in the physical realization of quantum computation and quantum information processing by trapping qubits. Penning traps are in use in many laboratories worldwide, including CERN, to store and investigate anti-particles such as antiprotons.[2] The main advantages of Penning traps are the potentially long storage times and the existence of a multitude of techniques to manipulate and non-destructively detect the stored particles.[3][4] This makes Penning traps versatile tools for the investigation of stored particles, but also for their selection, preparation or mere storage.
- ^ Eronen, T.; Kolhinen, V. S.; Elomaa, V. -V.; Gorelov, D.; Hager, U.; Hakala, J.; Jokinen, A.; Kankainen, A.; Karvonen, P.; Kopecky, S.; Moore, I. D. (2012-04-18). "JYFLTRAP: a Penning trap for precision mass spectroscopy and isobaric purification". The European Physical Journal A. 48 (4): 46. Bibcode:2012EPJA...48...46E. doi:10.1140/epja/i2012-12046-1. ISSN 1434-601X. S2CID 119825256.
- ^ "Penning Trap | ALPHA Experiment". alpha.web.cern.ch. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
- ^ Major, F. G. (2005). Charged particle traps : physics and techniques of charged particle field confinement. V. N. Gheorghe, G. Werth. Berlin: Springer. ISBN 3-540-22043-7. OCLC 62771233.
- ^ Vogel, Manuel (2018). Particle confinement in Penning traps : an introduction. Cham, Switzerland. ISBN 978-3-319-76264-7. OCLC 1030303331.
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