Proposed antimatter gravity measurement with an antihydrogen beam

A. Kellerbauer, M. Amoretti, A. S. Belov, G. Bonomi, I. Boscolo, R. S. Brusa, M. Büchner, V. M. Byakov, L. Cabaret, C. Canali, C. Carraro, F. Castelli, S. Cialdi, M. de Combarieu, D. Comparat, G. Consolati, N. Djourelov, M. Doser, G. Drobychev, A. DupasquierG. Ferrari, P. Forget, L. Formaro, A. Gervasini, M. G. Giammarchi, S. N. Gninenko, G. Gribakin, S. D. Hogan, M. Jacquey, V. Lagomarsino, G. Manuzio, S. Mariazzi, V. A. Matveev, J. O. Meier, F. Merkt, P. Nedelec, M. K. Oberthaler, P. Pari, M. Prevedelli, F. Quasso, A. Rotondi, D. Sillou, S. V. Stepanov, H. H. Stroke, G. Testera, G. M. Tino, G. Trénec, A. Vairo, J. Vigué, H. Walters, U. Warring, S. Zavatarelli, D. S. Zvezhinskij

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    The principle of the equivalence of gravitational and inertial mass is one of the cornerstones of general relativity. Considerable efforts have been made and are still being made to verify its validity. A quantum-mechanical formulation of gravity allows for non-Newtonian contributions to the force which might lead to a difference in the gravitational force on matter and antimatter. While it is widely expected that the gravitational interaction of matter and of antimatter should be identical, this assertion has never been tested experimentally. With the production of large amounts of cold antihydrogen at the CERN Antiproton Decelerator, such a test with neutral antimatter atoms has now become feasible. For this purpose, we have proposed to set up the AEGIS experiment at CERN/AD, whose primary goal will be the direct measurement of the Earth's gravitational acceleration on antihydrogen with a classical Moiré deflectometer.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Pages (from-to)351-356
    Number of pages6
    JournalNuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms
    Volume266
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    StatePublished - Feb 2008

    Keywords

    • Antimatter
    • Deflectometry
    • Gravity
    • Matter interferometry
    • Porous insulator
    • Positronium
    • Weak equivalence principle

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Nuclear and High Energy Physics
    • Instrumentation

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