Project Grant 2205506

This three-year, $345,000 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Mathematical and Physical Sciences program will support collaborative research between the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Marquette University to advance understanding of novel plasma physics processes in antimatter experiments. The researchers will develop new kinetic theory and molecular dynamics simulations to study electron and positron compression, antiproton cooling, and mixing/recombination of antiprotons and positrons. Molecular dynamics simulations will test the theoretical models. The advanced models will explore more efficient ways to convert positron and antiproton collections into antihydrogen atoms. Additionally, the grant funds the development of interactive science exhibits on this research for the Discovery World Science and Technology Center in Milwaukee and exhibits at American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics annual meetings, to broaden understanding and engagement with this critical but not well-understood area of physics.