Antihydrogen physics: Gravitation and spectroscopy in AEgIS

Ferragut, R.; Belov, A. S.; Bonomi, G.; Boscolo, I.; Brusa, R. S.; Byakov, V. M.; Cabaret, L.; Calloni, A.; Canali, C.; Carraro, C.; Castelli, F.; Cialdi, S.; Comparat, D.; Consolati, G.; Dassa, L.; Djourelov, N.; Doser, M.; Drobychev, G.; Dudarev, A.; Dupasquier, A.; Ferrari, G.; Fischer, A.; Folegati, P.; Fontana, A.; Formaro, L.; Giammarchi, M. G.; Gninenko, S. N.; Heyne, R.; Hogan, S. D.; Jorgensen, L. V.; Kellerbauer, A.; Krasnicky, D.; Lagomarsino, V.; Manuzio, G.; Mariazzi, S.; Matveev, V. A.; Morhard, C.; Nebbia, G.; Nedelec, P.; Oberthaler, M. K.; Perini, D.; Petracek, V.; Prelz, F.; Prevedelli, M.; Al-Qaradawi, I. Y.; Quasso, F.; Riccardi, C.; Rohne, O.; Rotondi, A.; Sacerdoti, M.; Sandaker, H.; Sillou, D.; Stepanov, S. V.; Stroke, H. H.; Testera, G.; Trezzi, D.; Turbabin, A. V.; Vaccarone, R.; Villa, F.; Warring, U.; Zavatarelli, S.; Zenoni, A.; Zvezhinskij, D. S.

Date

2011-01-01

Author

Ferragut, R.
Belov, A. S.
Bonomi, G.
Boscolo, I.
Brusa, R. S.
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Abstract

AEgIS (Antimatter experiment: gravity, interferometry, spectroscopy) is an experiment approved by CERN with the goal of studying antihydrogen physics. In AEgIS, antihydrogen will be produced by charge exchange reactions of cold antiprotons with positronium atoms excited in a Rydberg state (n>20). In the first phase of the experiment, controlled acceleration by an electric field gradient (Stark effect) and subsequent measurement of free fall in a Moiré deflectometer will allow a test of the weak equivalence principle. In a second phase, the antihydrogen will be slowed, confined, and laser-cooled to perform CPT studies and detailed spectroscopy. In the present work, after a general description of the experiment, the present status of advancement will be reviewed, with special attention to the production and excitation of positronium atoms.