The AEgIS experiment at CERN: Measuring antihydrogen free-fall in earth's gravitational field to test WEP with antimatter

Brusa, R. S.; Amsler, C.; Ariga, T.; Bonomi, G.; Braunig, P.; Cabaret, L.; Caccia, M.; Caravita, R.; Castelli, F.; Cerchiari, G.; Comparat, D.; Consolati, G.; Demetrio, A.; Di Noto, L.; Doser, M.; Ereditato, A.; Evans, C.; Ferragut, R.; Fesel, J.; Fontana, A.; Gerber, S.; Giammarchi, M.; Gligorova, A.; Guatieri, F.; Haider, S.; Holmestad, H.; Huse, T.; Kellerbauer, A.; Krasnicky, D.; Lagomarsino, V.; Lansonneur, P.; Lebrun, P.; Malbrunot, C.; Mariazzi, S.; Matveev, V.; Mazzotta, Z.; Nebbia, G.; Nedelec, P.; Oberthaler, M.; Pacifico, N.; Pagano, D.; Penasa, L.; Petracek, V.; Pistillo, C.; Prelz, F.; Prevedelli, M.; Ravelli, L.; Rienaecker, B.; Rohne, O. M.; Rotondi, A.; Sacerdoti, M.; Sandaker, H.; Santoro, R.; Scampoli, P.; Smestad, L.; Sorrentino, F.; Strojek, I. M.; Testera, G.; Tietje, I. C.; Vamosi, S.; Widmann, E.; Yzombard, P.; Zmeskal, J.; Zurlo, N.

doi:10.1088/1742-6596/791/1/012014

The AEgIS (Antimatter Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy) experiment is designed with the objective to test the weak equivalence principle with antimatter by studying the free fall of antihydrogen in the Earth's gravitational field. A pulsed cold beam of antihydrogen will be produced by charge exchange between cold Ps excited in Rydberg state and cold antiprotons. Finally the free fall will be measured by a classical moiré deflectometer. The apparatus being assembled at the Antiproton Decelerator at CERN will be described, then the advancements of the experiment will be reported: positrons and antiprotons trapping measurements, Ps two-step excitation and a test-measurement of antiprotons deflection with a small scale moiré deflectometer.

The AEgIS experiment at CERN: Measuring antihydrogen free-fall in earth's gravitational field to test WEP with antimatter

Brusa R. S.;Amsler C.;Ariga T.;Bonomi G.;Braunig P.;Cabaret L.;Caccia M.;Caravita R.;Castelli F.;Cerchiari G.;Comparat D.;Consolati G.;Demetrio A.;Di Noto L.;Doser M.;Ereditato A.;Evans C.;Ferragut R.;Fesel J.;Fontana A.;Gerber S.;Giammarchi M.;Gligorova A.;Guatieri F.;Haider S.;Holmestad H.;Huse T.;Kellerbauer A.;Krasnicky D.;Lagomarsino V.;Lansonneur P.;Lebrun P.;Malbrunot C.;Mariazzi S.;Matveev V.;Mazzotta Z.;Nebbia G.;Nedelec P.;Oberthaler M.;Pacifico N.;Pagano D.;Penasa L.;Petracek V.;Pistillo C.;Prelz F.;Prevedelli M.;Ravelli L.;Rienaecker B.;Rohne O. M.;Rotondi A.;Sacerdoti M.;Sandaker H.;Santoro R.;Scampoli P.;Smestad L.;Sorrentino F.;Strojek I. M.;Testera G.;Tietje I. C.;Vamosi S.;Widmann E.;Yzombard P.;Zmeskal J.;Zurlo N.

2017-01-01

Abstract

The AEgIS (Antimatter Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy) experiment is designed with the objective to test the weak equivalence principle with antimatter by studying the free fall of antihydrogen in the Earth's gravitational field. A pulsed cold beam of antihydrogen will be produced by charge exchange between cold Ps excited in Rydberg state and cold antiprotons. Finally the free fall will be measured by a classical moiré deflectometer. The apparatus being assembled at the Antiproton Decelerator at CERN will be described, then the advancements of the experiment will be reported: positrons and antiprotons trapping measurements, Ps two-step excitation and a test-measurement of antiprotons deflection with a small scale moiré deflectometer.