Antihydrogen Physics: gravitation and spectroscopy in AEgIS

Ferragut, RAFAEL OMAR; Belov, A. S.; Bonomi, G.; Boscolo, I.; Brusa, R. S.; Byakov, V. m.; Cabaret, L.; Calloni, Alberto; Canali, C.; Carraro, C.; Castelli, F.; Cialdi, S.; Comparat, D.; Consolati, Giovanni; Dassa, L.; Djourelov, N.; Doser, M.; Drobychev, G.; Dudarev, A.; Dupasquier, Alfredo; Ferrari, G.; Fischer, A.; Folegati, Paola; Fontana, A.; Formaro, L.; Giammarchi, M. G.; Gninenko, S. n.; Heyne, R.; Hogan, S. D.; Jorgensen, L. V.; Kellerbauer, A.; Krasnicky, D.; Lagomarsino, V.; Manuzio, G.; Mariazzi, S.; Matveev, V. a.; Morhard, C.; Nebbia, G.; Nedelec, P.; Oberthaler, M. k.; Perini, D.; Petracek, V.; Prelz, F.; Prevedelli, M.; Al qaradawi, I. Y.; Quasso, Fiorenza; Riccardi, C.; Rohne, O.; Rotondi, A.; Sacerdoti, M.; Sandaker, H.; Sillou, D.; Stepanov, S. v.; Stroke, H. H.; Testera, G.; Trezzi, D.; Turbabin, A. v.; Vaccarone, R.; Villa, F.; Warring, U.; Zavatarelli, S.; Zenoni, A.; Zvezhinskij, D. S.

doi:10.1139/P10-099

AEgIS (Antimatter Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy) is an experiment approved by CERN with the goal of studying antihydrogen physics. In AEgIS, antihydrogen will be produced by charge exchange reactions of cold antiprotons with positronium atoms excited in a Rydberg state (n>20). In the first phase of the experiment, acceleration in a controlled way by an electric field gradient (Stark effect) and subsequent measurement of free fall in a Moiré deflectometer will allow a test of the weak equivalence principle. In a second phase, the antihydrogen will be slowed, confined and laser-cooled to perform CPT studies and detailed spectroscopy. In the present work, after a general description of the experiment, the present status of advancement will be reviewed, with special attention to the production and excitation of positronium atoms.