Production and detection of cold antihydrogen atoms

M. Amoretti, C. Amsler, G. Bonomi, A. Bouchta, P. Bowe, C. Carraro, C. L. Cesar, M. Charlton, M. J. T. Collier, M. Doser, V. Filippini, K. S. Fine, A. Fontana, M. C. Fujiwara, R. Funakoshi, P. Genova, J. S. Hangst (), R. S. Hayano, M. H. Holzscheiter, L. V. Jørgensen, V. Lagomarsino, R. Landua, D. Lindelöf, E. Lodi Rizzini, M. Macrì, N. Madsen, G. Manuzio, M. Marchesotti, P. Montagna, H. Pruys, C. Regenfus, P. Riedler, Jean Rochet, A. Rotondi, G. Rouleau, G. Testera, A. Variola, T. L. Watson and D. P. van der Werf
Additional contact information
M. Amoretti: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova, Università di Genova
C. Amsler: Physik-Institut, Zürich University
G. Bonomi: EP Division, CERN
A. Bouchta: EP Division, CERN
P. Bowe: University of Aarhus
C. Carraro: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova, Università di Genova
C. L. Cesar: Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
M. Charlton: University of Wales Swansea
M. J. T. Collier: University of Wales Swansea
M. Doser: EP Division, CERN
V. Filippini: Università di Pavia
K. S. Fine: EP Division, CERN
A. Fontana: Università di Pavia
M. C. Fujiwara: University of Tokyo
R. Funakoshi: University of Tokyo
P. Genova: Università di Pavia
J. S. Hangst: University of Aarhus
R. S. Hayano: University of Tokyo
M. H. Holzscheiter: EP Division, CERN
L. V. Jørgensen: University of Wales Swansea
V. Lagomarsino: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova, Università di Genova
R. Landua: EP Division, CERN
D. Lindelöf: Physik-Institut, Zürich University
E. Lodi Rizzini: Università di Brescia
M. Macrì: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova, Università di Genova
N. Madsen: Physik-Institut, Zürich University
G. Manuzio: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova, Università di Genova
M. Marchesotti: Università di Pavia
P. Montagna: Università di Pavia
H. Pruys: Physik-Institut, Zürich University
C. Regenfus: Physik-Institut, Zürich University
P. Riedler: EP Division, CERN
A. Rotondi: Università di Pavia
G. Rouleau: EP Division, CERN
G. Testera: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova, Università di Genova
A. Variola: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova, Università di Genova
T. L. Watson: University of Wales Swansea
D. P. van der Werf: University of Wales Swansea

Nature, 2002, vol. 419, issue 6906, 456-459

Abstract: Abstract 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 numerous1. 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)2 and at Fermilab3, 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.

Date: 2002
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DOI: 10.1038/nature01096

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