Research objective: matter-antimatter plasma

IPP scientist convinced in new Helmholtz postdoc programme

IPP physicist Eve Stenton from the USA is one of 20 new PhD scientists being funded with 300,000 euros each by the Helmholtz Association to support their entry into the postdoc phase. After her PhD at California Institute of Technology Eve Stenton is now doing research at IPP, which is an associate of the Helmholtz Association. In Professor Thomas Sunn Pedersen’s research group at Greifswald she is to develop a plasma trap that can hold an unprecedented number of positrons – the positively charged antiparticles of the electron. The aim is to produce the first electron-positron plasma on earth. Such plasmas composed of matter and antimatter promise extraordinary properties.

The starting capital from the Helmholtz Association is intended to help young scientists to get established in their research area and put their scientific abilities into effect. A total of 119 young scientists had announced their interest in the new postdoc programme to one of the 18 Helmholtz Centres, who then submitted 66 applications. Finally, 20 scientists were chosen, half of them from abroad.

The next awards in the postdoc programme will be made in spring 2014.