G. Bonomi

Production and detection of cold antihydrogen atoms.

A theoretical underpinning of the standard model of fundamental particles and interactions is CPT invariance, which requires that the laws of physics be invariant under the combined discrete operations of charge conjugation, parity and time reversal. Antimatter, the existence of which was predicted by Dirac, can be used to test the CPT theorem—experimental investigations involving comparisons of particles with antiparticles are numerous. Cold atoms and anti-atoms, such as hydrogen and antihydrogen, could form the basis of a new precise test, as CPT invariance implies that they must have the same spectrum. Observations of antihydrogen in small quantities and at high energies have been reported at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and at Fermilab, but these experiments were not suited to precision comparison measurements. Here we demonstrate the production of antihydrogen atoms at very low energy by mixing trapped antiprotons and positrons in a cryogenic environment. The neutral anti-atoms have been detected directly when they escape the trap and annihilate, producing a characteristic signature in an imaging particle detector.

Positron plasma diagnostics and temperature control for antihydrogen production

Production of antihydrogen atoms by mixing antiprotons with a cold, confined, positron plasma depends critically on parameters such as the plasma density and temperature. We discuss nondestructive measurements, based on a novel, real-time analysis of excited, low-order plasma modes, that provide comprehensive characterization of the positron plasma in the ATHENA antihydrogen apparatus. The plasma length, radius, density, and total particle number are obtained. Measurement and control of plasma temperature variations, and the application to antihydrogen production experiments are discussed.

p̄p annihilation cross section at very low energy

Abstract The pp total annihilation cross section has been measured, with the Obelix apparatus at LEAR, at ten values of the antiproton incident momentum between 43 and 175 MeV/c. The values of the cross section show that the well known 1 p behaviour of the annihilation cross section is drastically modified at very low momenta, which demonstrates the important role of the Coulomb force in low energy pp interaction. Moreover, they do not present any explicit resonant behaviour. Finally, when compared to potential model calculations, the data suggest that the percentage of P-wave in pp interaction around 50 MeV/c antiproton incident momentum is less than 5%.

Exploring the WEP with a pulsed cold beam of antihydrogen

The AEGIS experiment, currently being set up at the Antiproton Decelerator at CERN, has the objective of studying the free fall of antimatter in the Earth?s gravitational field by means of a pulsed cold atomic beam of antihydrogen atoms. Both duration of free fall and vertical displacement of the horizontally emitted atoms will be measured, allowing a first test of the WEP with antimatter.

Evidence for heavy hyperhydrogen (Lambda)H-6

Evidence for the neutron-rich hypernucleus H-6(Lambda) is presented from the FINUDA experiment at DA Phi NE, Frascati, studying (pi(+), pi(-)) pairs in coincidence from the (K) over bar (-)(stop) + Li-6 -> H-6(Lambda) + pi(+) production reaction followed by H-6(Lambda) -> He-6 + pi(-) weak decay. The production rate of H-6(Lambda) undergoing this two-body pi(-) decay is determined to be (2.9 +/- 2.0) x 10(-6)/K-stop(-). Its binding energy, evaluated jointly from production and decay, is B-Lambda(H-6(Lambda)) = (4.0 +/- 1.1) MeV with respect to 5H + Lambda. A systematic difference of (0.98 +/- 0.74) MeV between B-Lambda values derived separately from decay and from production is tentatively assigned to the H-6(Lambda) 0(g.s)(+) excitationEvidence for the neutron-rich hypernucleus 6{\Lambda}H is presented from the FINUDA experiment at DA{\Phi}NE, Frascati, studying ({\pi}+, {\pi}-) pairs in coincidence from the K- +6Li \rightarrow 6 H+{\pi}+ production reaction followed by 6{\Lambda}H \rightarrow 6He + {\pi}- weak decay. The production rate of 6{\Lambda}H undergoing this two-body {\pi}- decay is determined to be (2.9\pm2.0)\cdot10-6/K-. Its binding energy, evaluated jointly from production and decay, is B{\Lambda}(6{\Lambda}H) = (4.0\pm1.1) MeV with respect to 5H+{\Lambda}. A systematic difference of (0.98 \pm 0.74) MeV between B{\Lambda} values derived separately from decay and from production is tentatively assigned to the 6{\Lambda}H 0+g.s. \rightarrow 1+ excitation.

Evidence for 6{\Lambda}H

Evidence for the neutron-rich hypernucleus H-6(Lambda) is presented from the FINUDA experiment at DA Phi NE, Frascati, studying (pi(+), pi(-)) pairs in coincidence from the (K) over bar (-)(stop) + Li-6 -> H-6(Lambda) + pi(+) production reaction followed by H-6(Lambda) -> He-6 + pi(-) weak decay. The production rate of H-6(Lambda) undergoing this two-body pi(-) decay is determined to be (2.9 +/- 2.0) x 10(-6)/K-stop(-). Its binding energy, evaluated jointly from production and decay, is B-Lambda(H-6(Lambda)) = (4.0 +/- 1.1) MeV with respect to 5H + Lambda. A systematic difference of (0.98 +/- 0.74) MeV between B-Lambda values derived separately from decay and from production is tentatively assigned to the H-6(Lambda) 0(g.s)(+) excitationEvidence for the neutron-rich hypernucleus 6{\Lambda}H is presented from the FINUDA experiment at DA{\Phi}NE, Frascati, studying ({\pi}+, {\pi}-) pairs in coincidence from the K- +6Li \rightarrow 6 H+{\pi}+ production reaction followed by 6{\Lambda}H \rightarrow 6He + {\pi}- weak decay. The production rate of 6{\Lambda}H undergoing this two-body {\pi}- decay is determined to be (2.9\pm2.0)\cdot10-6/K-. Its binding energy, evaluated jointly from production and decay, is B{\Lambda}(6{\Lambda}H) = (4.0\pm1.1) MeV with respect to 5H+{\Lambda}. A systematic difference of (0.98 \pm 0.74) MeV between B{\Lambda} values derived separately from decay and from production is tentatively assigned to the 6{\Lambda}H 0+g.s. \rightarrow 1+ excitation.

New measurements of the p̄p annihilation cross section at very low energy

Abstract The p p total annihilation cross section has been measured at four values of the p incident momentum, between 70 MeV/c and 38 MeV/c, with the Obelix apparatus at LEAR. The new measurements are in agreement with the trend of previous measurements of the p p total annihilation cross section at low energy, performed by the Obelix experiment [A. Bertin et al., Phys. Lett. B 369 (1996) 77; A. Benedettini et al., Nucl. Phys. B (Proc. Suppl.) 56A (1997) 58], as well as with a fit of the latter data based on a low energy expansion of the scattering amplitude [J. Carbonell, K.V. Protasov, A. Zenoni, Phys. Lett. B 397 (1997) 345]. The departure of the annihilation cross section from a smooth behaviour, suggested by a previous measurement of the cross section around 44 MeV/c [A. Bertin et al., Phys. Lett. B 369 (1996) 77], is not confirmed by the new data.

New results on mesonic weak decay of p-shell Lambda-hypernuclei

Abstract The FINUDA experiment performed a systematic study of the charged mesonic weak decay channel of p -shell Λ -hypernuclei. Negatively charged pion spectra from mesonic decay were measured with magnetic analysis for the first time for 7 Λ Li, 9 Λ Be, 11 Λ B and 15 Λ N. The shape of the π − spectra was interpreted through a comparison with pion distorted wave calculations that take into account the structure of both hypernucleus and daughter nucleus. Branching ratios Γ π − / Γ tot were derived from the measured spectra and converted to π − decay rates Γ π − by means of known or extrapolated total decay widths Γ tot of p -shell Λ -hypernuclei. Based on these measurements, the spin-parity assignment 1 / 2 + for 7 Λ Li and 5 / 2 + for 11 Λ B ground-state are confirmed and a spin-parity 3 / 2 + for 15 Λ N ground-state is assigned for the first time.

First observation of the hyper superheavy hydrogen HΛ6

Abstract Three candidate events of the neutron-rich hypernucleus H Λ 6 were uniquely identified in the FINUDA experiment at DAΦNE, Frascati, by observing π + mesons from the ( K stop − , π + ) production reaction on 6 Li targets, in coincidence with π − mesons from H Λ 6 → He 6 + π − weak decay. Details of the experiment and the analysis of its data are reported, leading to an estimate of ( 2.9 ± 2.0 ) ⋅ 10 − 6 / K stop − for the H Λ 6 production rate times the two-body π − weak decay branching ratio. The H Λ 6 binding energy with respect to H 5 + Λ was determined jointly from production and decay to be B Λ = ( 4.0 ± 1.1 ) MeV , assuming that 5 H is unbound with respect to H 3 + 2 n by 1.7 MeV. The binding energy determined from production is higher, in each one of the three events, than that determined from decay, with a difference of ( 0.98 ± 0.74 ) MeV here assigned to the 0 g.s. + → 1 + excitation. The consequences of this assignment to Λ hypernuclear dynamics are briefly discussed.

Complete nondestructive diagnostic of nonneutral plasmas based on the detection of electrostatic modes

The detection of electrostatic nonneutral plasma modes in the ATHENA (ApparaTus for High precision Experiment on Neutral Antimatter) experiment [M. Amoretti, C. Amsler, G. Bonomi et al., Nature (London) 419, 456 (2002)] is described. A complete nondestructive diagnostic of the plasma based on a fit to the line shape of the function describing the power transmitted through the plasma around the frequency of the fundamental mode is developed and the experimental results are presented and discussed.