Gravitational Analogs to Ion Traps: Non-Orbital Particle Confinement with Binary Black Holes

Precise particle manipulation through RF Paul Traps and Penning traps has been pivotal in advancing our understanding of quantum systems, with applications ranging from atomic clocks to quantum computing. We report analogous trapping mechanisms in binary black hole (BBH) systems under specific astrophysical conditions, mirroring the configurations of these ion traps. Charged BBHs generate RF Paul-like rotating saddle potentials by combining gravitational and electric forces, stabilizing particle trajectories at their center. Stability diagrams like those used for RF Paul traps illustrate the conditions under which this motion remains stable. Similarly, a Penning-like configuration arises when BBHs operate within a weak magnetic background. The magnetic field leverages a cyclotron motion and gravitational attraction from black holes act as end caps. Gravitational end caps make it possible to trap a neutral plasma, presenting a novel, non-orbital trapping mechanism in astronomical scales. Overall, the configurations we study introduce alternative mechanical analogs to ion traps extending the well-known rotating saddle RF Paul trap comparison. Such extensions enhance the toolbox of AMO physicist with astronomical-scale phenomena that mirror sophisticated quantum systems.