Electron cooling and accumulation of 4$\times$10$^9$ positrons in a system for longterm storage of antihydrogen atoms

POSTER

Abstract

For antihydrogen ($\overline{\rm H}$) production, trapping and spectroscopic measurements, large numbers of positrons (e$^+$) and antiprotons are required. These antimatter particles are captured, cooled and manipulated in extremely-high vacuum within our Penning-Ioffe trap system to ensure long lifetimes before annihilation with background gas, as required for precision experiments with antimatter atoms. Our ATRAP collaboration has accumulated up to 4$\times 10^9$ positrons (e$^+$) in our Penning-Ioffe trap apparatus which can be maintained at a temperature of 1.2 K and at a pressure below 6$\times 10^{-17}$ Torr. Realizing this extremely low pressure is particularly challenging given that the Penning-Ioffe trap apparatus is continuously open to the room-temperature e$^+$ accumulator where Ne and N$_2$ gasses are used to slow and capture the e$^+$ that originate from radioactive decay of $^{22}$Na. This low temperature and vacuum pressure should allow for $\overline{\rm H}$ storage times of over 1 year, sufficient time for high-precision tests of antimatter gravity and of CPT invariance.

Authors

  • D.W. Fitzakerley

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada

  • M.C. George

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada

  • E.A. Hessels

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada

  • C.H. Storry

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada

  • M. Weel

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada

  • D. Grzonka

    • Forschungszentrum J\"ulich GmbH, 52425, J\"ulich, Germany

  • W. Oelert

    • Forschungszentrum J\"ulich GmbH, 52425, J\"ulich, Germany

  • G. Gabrielse

    • Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, U.S.A.

  • W.S. Kolthammer

    • Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, U.S.A.

  • R. McConnell

    • Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, U.S.A.

  • P. Richerme

    • Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, U.S.A.

  • A. M\"ullers

    • Institut f\"ur Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universit\"at and Helmholtz Institut Mainz, D-55099, Germany

  • J. Walz

    • Institut f\"ur Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universit\"at and Helmholtz Institut Mainz, D-55099, Germany