Strongly magnetized antihydrogen and its field ionization

New interpretations of measured antihydrogen velocities and field ionization spectra

We present extensive Monte Carlo simulations, showing that cold antihydrogen (H) atoms are produced when antiprotons (p) are gently heated in the side wells of a nested Penning trap. The observed H with high energies, that had seemed to indicate otherwise, are instead explained by a surprisingly effective charge-exchange mechanism. We shed light on the previously measured field-ionization spectrum, and reproduce both the characteristic low-field power law as well as the enhanced H production at higher fields. The latter feature is shown to arise from H toms too deeply bound to be described as guiding center atoms, atoms with internally chaotic motion.

Landau quantization and time dependence in the ionization of cold, strongly magnetized Rydberg atoms

The electric-field-ionization and autoionization behavior of cold Rydberg atoms of 85Rb in magnetic fields up to 6 T is investigated. Multiple ionization potentials and field-ionization bands reflecting the Landau energy quantization of the quasifree Rydberg electron are observed. The time-resolved and state-selective field-ionization study provides evidence of mixing and spin flips of the Rydberg electron. Spin-orbit coupling combined with mixing gives rise to a Feshbach-type autoionization of metastable positive-energy atoms.

Molecular-dynamics simulations of cold antihydrogen formation in strongly magnetized plasmas

Employing a high-order symplectic integrator and an adaptive time-step algorithm, we perform molecular-dynamics simulations of antihydrogen formation, in a cold plasma confined by a strong magnetic field, over time scales of microseconds. Sufficient positron-antiproton recombination events occur to allow a statistical analysis for various properties of the formed antihydrogen atoms. Giant-dipole states are formed in the initial stage of recombination. In addition to neutral atoms, we also observe antihydrogen positive ions (H(+)), in which two positrons simultaneously bind to an antiproton.

Adiabatic formation of quasibound states of antihydrogen

The classical trajectory of an initially unbound positron within the electric field of an antiproton and a uniform magnetic field is simulated in three dimensions. Several simulations are run incorporating experimental parameters used for antihydrogen production, which has been achieved by two different groups [M. Amoretti, Nature (London) 419, 456 (2002); G. Gabrielse, Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 213401 (2002)]. The simulations indicate that temporary bound states of antihydrogen can form at positive energies, where the energy of the system is defined to be zero when the positron and antiproton are at rest with infinite separation. Such quasibound states, which form only when the magnetic field is present, are typically smaller than in a dimension perpendicular to the magnetic field. An analytical model is developed for a formation cross section, and it is found that quasibound states may form more frequently than stable Rydberg states.

First laser-controlled antihydrogen production

Lasers are used for the first time to control the production of antihydrogen (H ). Sequential, resonant charge exchange collisions are involved in a method that is very different than the only other method used so far-producing slow H during positron cooling of antiprotons in a nested Penning trap. Two attractive features are that the laser frequencies determine the H binding energy, and that the production of extremely cold H should be possible in principle-likely close to what is needed for confinement in a trap, as needed for precise laser spectroscopy.

First measurement of the velocity of slow antihydrogen atoms

The speed of antihydrogen atoms is deduced from the fraction that passes through an oscillating electric field without ionizing. The weakly bound atoms used for this first demonstration travel about 20 times more rapidly than the average thermal speed of the antiprotons from which they form, if these are in thermal equilibrium with their 4.2 K container. The method should be applicable to much more deeply bound states, which may well be moving more slowly, and should aid the quest to lower the speed of the atoms as required if they are to be trapped for precise spectroscopy.

Polarization and trapping of weakly bound atoms in penning trap fields

The ATHENA and ATRAP groups at CERN recently reported the production of weakly bound antihydrogen atoms in a non-neutral positron-antiproton plasma. This Letter derives an equation of motion for weakly bound atoms in the electric and magnetic fields of the plasma and trap. The atoms are polarized by the electric field and can be trapped radially in the edge region of the plasma where the electric field is maximum.