Can We Observe the Gravitational Quantum States of Positronium?

We consider the feasibility of observing the gravitational quantum states of positronium. The proposed scheme employs the flow-throw technique used for the first observation of this effect with neutrons. Collimation and Stark deceleration of Rydberg positronium atoms allow selecting the required vel...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: P. Crivelli, V. V. Nesvizhevsky, A. Yu. Voronin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:Advances in High Energy Physics
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/173572
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832561232502063104
author P. Crivelli
V. V. Nesvizhevsky
A. Yu. Voronin
author_facet P. Crivelli
V. V. Nesvizhevsky
A. Yu. Voronin
author_sort P. Crivelli
collection DOAJ
description We consider the feasibility of observing the gravitational quantum states of positronium. The proposed scheme employs the flow-throw technique used for the first observation of this effect with neutrons. Collimation and Stark deceleration of Rydberg positronium atoms allow selecting the required velocity class. If this experiment could be realized with positronium, it would lead to a determination of g for this matter-antimatter system at the few % level. As discussed in this contribution, most of the required techniques are currently available but important milestones have to be demonstrated experimentally before such an experiment could become reality. Those are the efficient focusing of a bunched positron beam, Stark deceleration of Rydberg positronium, and its subsequent excitation into states with large angular momentum. We provide an estimate of the efficiencies we expect for these steps and assuming those could be confirmed we calculate the signal rate.
format Article
id doaj-art-96e8cd869a044ca68c140083e0382851
institution Kabale University
issn 1687-7357
1687-7365
language English
publishDate 2015-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Advances in High Energy Physics
spelling doaj-art-96e8cd869a044ca68c140083e03828512025-02-03T01:25:34ZengWileyAdvances in High Energy Physics1687-73571687-73652015-01-01201510.1155/2015/173572173572Can We Observe the Gravitational Quantum States of Positronium?P. Crivelli0V. V. Nesvizhevsky1A. Yu. Voronin2ETH Zurich, Institute for Particle Physics, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitut Laue-Langevin, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, 38046 Grenoble, FranceLebedev Physical Institute, 53 Leninsky Prospect, Moscow 119991, RussiaWe consider the feasibility of observing the gravitational quantum states of positronium. The proposed scheme employs the flow-throw technique used for the first observation of this effect with neutrons. Collimation and Stark deceleration of Rydberg positronium atoms allow selecting the required velocity class. If this experiment could be realized with positronium, it would lead to a determination of g for this matter-antimatter system at the few % level. As discussed in this contribution, most of the required techniques are currently available but important milestones have to be demonstrated experimentally before such an experiment could become reality. Those are the efficient focusing of a bunched positron beam, Stark deceleration of Rydberg positronium, and its subsequent excitation into states with large angular momentum. We provide an estimate of the efficiencies we expect for these steps and assuming those could be confirmed we calculate the signal rate.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/173572
spellingShingle P. Crivelli
V. V. Nesvizhevsky
A. Yu. Voronin
Can We Observe the Gravitational Quantum States of Positronium?
Advances in High Energy Physics
title Can We Observe the Gravitational Quantum States of Positronium?
title_full Can We Observe the Gravitational Quantum States of Positronium?
title_fullStr Can We Observe the Gravitational Quantum States of Positronium?
title_full_unstemmed Can We Observe the Gravitational Quantum States of Positronium?
title_short Can We Observe the Gravitational Quantum States of Positronium?
title_sort can we observe the gravitational quantum states of positronium
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/173572
work_keys_str_mv AT pcrivelli canweobservethegravitationalquantumstatesofpositronium
AT vvnesvizhevsky canweobservethegravitationalquantumstatesofpositronium
AT ayuvoronin canweobservethegravitationalquantumstatesofpositronium