The AEGIS experiment at CERN: Measuring the free fall of antihydrogen

Kellerbauer, A.; Allkofer, Y.; Amsler, C.; Belov, A. S.; Bonomi, G.; Braunig, P.; Bremer, J.; Brusa, R. S.; Burghart, G.; Cabaret, L.; Canali, C.; Castelli, F.; Chlouba, K.; Cialdi, S.; Comparat, D.; Consolati, G.; Dassa, L.; Di Noto, L.; Donzella, A.; Doser, M.; Dudarev, A.; Eisel, T.; Ferragut, R.; Ferrari, G.; Fontana, A.; Genova, P.; Giammarchi, M.; Gligorova, A.; Gninenko, S. N.; Haider, S.; Hansen, J. P.; Haug, F.; Hogan, S. D.; Jorgensen, L. V.; Kaltenbacher, T.; Krasnicky, D.; Lagomarsino, V.; Mariazzi, S.; Matveev, V. A.; Merkt, F.; Moia, F.; Nebbia, G.; Nedelec, P.; Niinikoski, T.; Oberthaler, M. K.; Perini, D.; Petracek, V.; Prelz, F.; Prevedelli, M.; Regenfus, C.; Riccardi, C.; Rochet, J.; Rohne, O.; Rotondi, A.; Sacerdoti, M.; Sandaker, H.; Spacek, M.; Storey, J.; Testera, G.; Tokareva, A.; Trezzi, D.; Vaccarone, R.; Villa, F.; Warring, U.; Zavatarelli, S.; Zenoni, A.

doi:10.1007/s10751-012-0583-x

After the first production of cold antihydrogen by the ATHENA and ATRAP experiments ten years ago, new second-generation experiments are aimed at measuring the fundamental properties of this anti-atom. The goal of AEGIS (Antimatter Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy) is to test the weak equivalence principle by studying the gravitational interaction between matter and antimatter with a pulsed, cold antihydrogen beam. The experiment is currently being assembled at CERN's Antiproton Decelerator. In AEGIS, antihydrogen will be produced by charge exchange of cold antiprotons with positronium excited to a high Rydberg state (n > 20). An antihydrogen beam will be produced by controlled acceleration in an electric-field gradient (Stark acceleration). The deflection of the horizontal beam due to its free fall in the gravitational field of the earth will be measured with a moiré deflectometer. Initially, the gravitational acceleration will be determined to a precision of 1%, requiring the detection of about 10 5 antihydrogen atoms. In this paper, after a general description, the present status of the experiment will be reviewed. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

The AEGIS experiment at CERN: Measuring the free fall of antihydrogen

Kellerbauer A.;Allkofer Y.;Amsler C.;Belov A. S.;Bonomi G.;Braunig P.;Bremer J.;Brusa R. S.;Burghart G.;Cabaret L.;Canali C.;Castelli F.;Chlouba K.;Cialdi S.;Comparat D.;Consolati G.;Dassa L.;Di Noto L.;Donzella A.;Doser M.;Dudarev A.;Eisel T.;Ferragut R.;Ferrari G.;Fontana A.;Genova P.;Giammarchi M.;Gligorova A.;Gninenko S. N.;Haider S.;Hansen J. P.;Haug F.;Hogan S. D.;Jorgensen L. V.;Kaltenbacher T.;Krasnicky D.;Lagomarsino V.;Mariazzi S.;Matveev V. A.;Merkt F.;Moia F.;Nebbia G.;Nedelec P.;Niinikoski T.;Oberthaler M. K.;Perini D.;Petracek V.;Prelz F.;Prevedelli M.;Regenfus C.;Riccardi C.;Rochet J.;Rohne O.;Rotondi A.;Sacerdoti M.;Sandaker H.;Spacek M.;Storey J.;Testera G.;Tokareva A.;Trezzi D.;Vaccarone R.;Villa F.;Warring U.;Zavatarelli S.;Zenoni A.

2012-01-01

Abstract

After the first production of cold antihydrogen by the ATHENA and ATRAP experiments ten years ago, new second-generation experiments are aimed at measuring the fundamental properties of this anti-atom. The goal of AEGIS (Antimatter Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy) is to test the weak equivalence principle by studying the gravitational interaction between matter and antimatter with a pulsed, cold antihydrogen beam. The experiment is currently being assembled at CERN's Antiproton Decelerator. In AEGIS, antihydrogen will be produced by charge exchange of cold antiprotons with positronium excited to a high Rydberg state (n > 20). An antihydrogen beam will be produced by controlled acceleration in an electric-field gradient (Stark acceleration). The deflection of the horizontal beam due to its free fall in the gravitational field of the earth will be measured with a moiré deflectometer. Initially, the gravitational acceleration will be determined to a precision of 1%, requiring the detection of about 10 5 antihydrogen atoms. In this paper, after a general description, the present status of the experiment will be reviewed. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.