News Physics

Electrons are extremely round, a new measurement confirms

The result deepens the mystery behind why there's more matter than antimatter in the universe

photo of a vacuum chamber

To test whether electrons are truly round, physicists used electrically charged molecules of hafnium fluoride contained within a vacuum chamber (shown).

Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado

By Emily Conover

Electrons are really, really round.

A new measurement confirms the subatomic particle’s spherical shape to a record level of exactness, physicists report in the July 7 Science.

That near-perfect roundness deepens the mystery behind how the universe came to be filled with matter as opposed to its counterpart, antimatter.