The proton pack, designed by Dr. Egon Spengler, is a man-portable cyclotron system that is used to create a charged particle beam—composed of protons—that is fired by the particle thrower (also referred to as the neutrona wand). Described in the first movie as a positron collider, it functions by colliding high-energy positrons to generate its proton beam. The beam allows a Ghostbuster to contain and hold negatively charged ectoplasmic entities. This containment ability allows the wielder to position a ghost above a trap for capture