Single-component plasma of photoelectrons

B. Levitt, G. Gabrielse*, P. Larochelle, D. Le Sage, W. S. Kolthammer, R. McConnell, J. Wrubel, A. Speck, D. Grzonka, W. Oelert, T. Sefzick, Z. Zhang, D. Comeau, M. C. George, E. A. Hessels, C. H. Storry, M. Weel, J. Walz

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ten-nanosecond pulses of photoelectrons liberated by intense UV laser pulses from a thin gold layer are captured into a single-component plasma that is ideally suited to cool antiprotons (over(p, ̄)) for antihydrogen (over(H, ̄)) production. Up to a billion electrons are accumulated using a series of laser pulses, more than are needed for efficient over(p, ̄) cooling in the large traps now being used for loading over(p, ̄) for over(H, ̄) production. The method is demonstrated within an enclosed vacuum space that is entirely at 4 K, and is thus compatible with the exceptional cryogenic vacuum that is desirable for the long-term storage of antihydrogen. The pitfalls of other electron accumulation methods are entirely avoided, including the particle heating and declining efficiency of field emission point loading, and the heat load and contamination of thermionic emission methods.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)25-29
Number of pages5
JournalPhysics Letters, Section B: Nuclear, Elementary Particle and High-Energy Physics
Volume656
Issue number1-3
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 15 2007

Funding

We are grateful to CERN and the AD team for delivering the 5 MeV energy antiprotons. This work was supported by the NSF and AFOSR of the US, the BMBF, DFG, and Jülich Laboratory of Germany, along with the NSERC, CRC, CFI and OIT of Canada.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Nuclear and High Energy Physics

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