A theoretical survey of formation of antihydrogen atoms in a Penning trap
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)
Numerous antihydrogen atoms are created at CERN, by ATRAP and ATHENA experiments, by bringing together positrons and antiprotons in a magnetic Penning trap. Most of these atoms are created in exotic, highly excited states, such that the magnetic forces on positrons are greater than the Coulomb attraction of antiprotons. This paper presents an overview of the recent progress made toward theoretical understanding of the complicated dynamics which leads to the formation and detection of antihydrogen atoms. There is no formal difference between the plasmas described here and normal, electron-proton, matter plasmas, except the reversed sign of electrical charges. The next generation of experiments need to bring the antihydrogen atoms to the ground state and to cool them to sub-milliKelvin temperature. Only then, high resolution spectroscopy can expose differences between matter and antimatter due to CPT violations. Suggestions are made for possible pathways toward this goal.
- OSTI ID:
- 21067352
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 926, Issue 1; Conference: 15. international conference on atomic processes in plasmas, Gaithersburg, MD (United States), 19-22 Mar 2007; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2768837; (c) 2007 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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