Non-Neutral Plasma Confinement In A Cusp-Trap And Possible Application To Anti-Hydrogen Beam Generation
- Atomic Physics laboratory, RIKEN, Wako 351-0198 (Japan)
A new scheme for synthesizing antihydrogen by trapping positrons and antiprotons in a field consisting of a magnetic quadrupole and an electric octupole (cusp -trap) is now under investigation. The total electric field of the octupole with the space charge of a nonneutral plasma composed of particles of the same sign of charge, i.e., positrons or mixture of electrons and antiprotons, is expected to form a potential well for particles of the opposite sign of charge. Particles trapped in the well are mixed with the present dense particles, where positrons and antiprotons will combine to produce antihydrogen atoms. A considerable fraction of antihydrogen atoms in low-field seeking states will be transported outside as a beam.Experiments on electron confinement in the cusp-trap were carried out in a strong magnetic quadrupole (3.8T at the maximum on the axis). The confinement time reached 400s for the trapped electron number N0= 3.6x107. The time decreased with N0 but it was still about 100s for N0= 1.6x108.An electron plasma initially formed around the zero-field point rapidly expanded and settled down onto a quasi-stable state. Cross-sectional density profiles had shapes like a high volcano with a big crater. Analysis of the density profile shows that a potential well for oppositely charged particles (positive ions in this case) is probably formed inside the trapped electrons.
- OSTI ID:
- 20726617
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 793, Issue 1; Conference: Workshop on physics with ultra slow antiproton beams, Wako (Japan), 14-16 Mar 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2121977; (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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