0000000000431068
AUTHOR
J. S. Borbely
Pumped helium system for cooling positron and electron traps to 1.2 K
Abstract Extremely precise tests of fundamental particle symmetries should be possible via laser spectroscopy of trapped antihydrogen ( H ¯ ) atoms. H ¯ atoms that can be trapped must have an energy in temperature units that is below 0.5 K—the energy depth of the deepest magnetic traps that can currently be constructed with high currents and superconducting technology. The number of atoms in a Boltzmann distribution with energies lower than this trap depth depends sharply upon the temperature of the thermal distribution. For example, ten times more atoms with energies low enough to be trapped are in a thermal distribution at a temperature of 1.2 K than for a temperature of 4.2 K. To date, H…
Centrifugal Separation of Antiprotons and Electrons
Centrifugal separation of antiprotons and electrons is observed, the first such demonstration with particles that cannot be laser cooled or optically imaged. The spatial separation takes place during the electron cooling of trapped antiprotons, the only method available to produce cryogenic antiprotons for precision tests of fundamental symmetries and for cold antihydrogen studies. The centrifugal separation suggests a new approach for isolating low energy antiprotons and for producing a controlled mixture of antiprotons and electrons.