Published March 8, 2015 | Version v1
Journal article

Can We Observe the Gravitational Quantum States of Positronium?

  • 1. ETH Zurich, Institute for Particle Physics, Otto-Stern-Weg 5, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland)
  • 2. Institut Laue-Langevin, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, 38046 Grenoble (France)
  • 3. Lebedev Physical Institute, 53 Leninsky Prospect, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation)

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

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/173572; Available from http://repo.scoap3.org/record/9526

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Advances in High Energy Physics (Online)
Journal Volume
2015
Journal Page Range
[7 p.]
ISSN
1687-7365

Optional Information

Notes
PUBLISHER-ID: 173572; OAI: oai:repo.scoap3.org:9526
Funding organization
SCOAP3, CERN, Geneva (Switzerland)