0000000000653393
AUTHOR
Steven L. Rolston
First Antiprotons in an Ion Trap
Measurements of the antiproton mass[2,3,4,5] are represented in Fig. 1. All of these are deduced from measurements of the energy of x-rays radiated from highly excited exotic atoms. For example, if an antiproton is captured in a Pb atom, it can make radiative transitions from its n = 20 to n = 19 state. The antiproton is still well outside the nucleus in this case, so that nuclear effects can be neglected. The measured transition energy is essentially proportional to the reduced mass of the nucleus and hence the antiproton mass can be deduced by comparing the measured values with theoretical values, corrected for QED effects. The most accurate quoted uncertainty is 5 × 10-5 and is consisten…
Barkas effect with use of antiprotons and protons.
The difference in the range of protons and antiprotons in matter, an example of the Barkas effect, is observed in a simple time-of-flight apparatus. The ranges of 5.9-MeV antiprotons and protons differ by about 6% in a degrader made predominantly of aluminum.
First Capture of Antiprotons in a Penning Trap: A Kiloelectronvolt Source
Antiprotons from the Low Energy Antiproton Ring of CERN are slowed from 21 MeV to below 3 keV by being passed through 3 mm of material, mostly Be. While still in flight, the kiloelectronvolt antiprotons are captured in a Penning trap created by the sudden application of a 3-kV potential. Antiprotons are held for 100 s and more. Prospects are now excellent for much longer trapping times under better vacuum conditions. This demonstrates the feasibility of a greatly improved measurement of the inertial mass of the antiproton and opens the way to other intriguing experiments.
First Capture of Antiprotons in an Ion Trap: Progress Toward a Precision Mass Measurement and Antihydrogen
Antiprotons from the Low Energy Antiproton Ring of CERN are slowed from 21 MeV to below 3 keV by being passed through 3 mm of material, mostly Be. While still in flight, the kilo-electron volt antiprotons are captured in a Penning trap created by the sudden application of a 3-kV potential. Antiprotons are held for 100 s and more. Prospects are now excellent for much longer trapping times under better vacuum conditions. This demonstrates the feasibility of a greatly improved measurement of the inertial mass of the antiproton and opens the way to other intriguing experiments. The possibility of producing antihydrogen by merging cold, trapped plasmas of positrons and antiprotons is discussed.