European scientists launch major platform to investigate exotic 'antimatter' plasmas
The PAIR project will transform how researchers study electron-positron plasmas, moving from one-off lab experiments to a robust European capability platform that combines advanced computing, theory and experiments.For decades, the study of 'pair plasmas', a unique state of matter composed of electrons and their antimatter counterparts, positrons, was mostly limited to theoretical calculations and distant telescope observations. That is about to change. A new European initiative is setting the stage to turn these exotic clouds of matter into a controllable laboratory reality.
The project, PAIR (Plasma Antimatter Investigation and Realisation), recently received major backing from the European Commission through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges call. Over the next four years, a consortium of the world’s leading physics and computing nodes in this area will work to create, diagnose, and model these unique plasmas with unprecedented precision. The consortium is led by Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) at the University of Lisbon, and includes the University of Oxford, Max-Planck-Institut, Sorbonne University, UCLA, U. Rochester, and specialised companies like ColibriTD and CERFACS.
According to the PI of the project, Thomas Grismayer, of the Group of Lasers and Plasmas/IPFN at IST, “Europe has reached a turning point where we have the laser power and the particle beams needed to generate these plasmas, and there is an outstanding opportunity to build a unified way to understand them. PAIR is designed to bridge this gap, moving us from dispersed tests and efforts to a truly collaborative and reliable scientific platform”.
The unique physics of pair plasmas
According to the PI of the project, Thomas Grismayer, of the Group of Lasers and Plasmas/IPFN at IST, “Europe has reached a turning point where we have the laser power and the particle beams needed to generate these plasmas, and there is an outstanding opportunity to build a unified way to understand them. PAIR is designed to bridge this gap, moving us from dispersed tests and efforts to a truly collaborative and reliable scientific platform”.
The unique physics of pair plasmas
Because the electrons and positrons have the same mass, the plasma behaves in ways that traditional physics rules cannot easily predict. This symmetry makes pair plasmas fundamentally different. These plasmas are pervasive in the extreme environments found around pulsars and black holes, and controlled lab experiments provide a unique testing ground for the laws of physics under conditions we cannot find naturally on Earth.
Despite their importance to fundamental science, these antimatter clouds are notoriously difficult to maintain. They are often short-lived and hard to control. Leveraging facilities like the Apollon laser and CERN, PAIR will move beyond temporary demonstrations to create a reliable blueprint for generating the dense, long-lived pair plasmas necessary for in-depth laboratory study.
Accelerating discovery with AI and quantum tools
Accelerating discovery with AI and quantum tools
Investigating these plasmas requires more than just high-energy hardware; it requires a massive leap in computing power. One of the project’s most innovative goals is the creation of a 'digital engine' that uses Scientific Machine Learning and prototype Quantum Algorithms to model plasma behaviour. Current computer simulations of these processes are so complex that they often hit a wall in terms of cost and time. By integrating AI-driven models, we expect to speed up these simulations, allowing us to validate our lab results against theory in real time.
Building a cross-border talent pool
Building a cross-border talent pool
The initiative relies on a strategic exchange of staff between academic giants and deep-tech industry partners. The project also aims to train a generation of researchers who can move seamlessly between high-power laser physics and advanced software engineering.
A future platform for European Science
A future platform for European Science
As the project enters its 48-month mission, the focus will remain on delivering concrete, reusable assets: open-source software, benchmarked experimental designs, and a new framework for astrophysical interpretation. By the time the final conference of the project concludes, the consortium aims to have established a permanent capability for pair-plasma science in Europe, ensuring the continent remains at the frontier of high-energy-density physics.
The PAIR project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (Grant Agreement No. 101343656).
The PAIR project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (Grant Agreement No. 101343656).
Image credit: Instituto Superior Técnico
