1. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N, et al.
(author)
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The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project
- 2017
-
In: Ecology and Evolution. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2045-7758. ; 7:1, s. 145-188
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The PREDICTS project-Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)-has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.
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2. |
- Hudson, Lawrence N., et al.
(author)
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The PREDICTS database : a global database of how local terrestrial biodiversity responds to human impacts
- 2014
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In: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 4:24, s. 4701-4735
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Biodiversity continues to decline in the face of increasing anthropogenic pressures such as habitat destruction, exploitation, pollution and introduction of alien species. Existing global databases of species' threat status or population time series are dominated by charismatic species. The collation of datasets with broad taxonomic and biogeographic extents, and that support computation of a range of biodiversity indicators, is necessary to enable better understanding of historical declines and to project - and avert - future declines. We describe and assess a new database of more than 1.6 million samples from 78 countries representing over 28,000 species, collated from existing spatial comparisons of local-scale biodiversity exposed to different intensities and types of anthropogenic pressures, from terrestrial sites around the world. The database contains measurements taken in 208 (of 814) ecoregions, 13 (of 14) biomes, 25 (of 35) biodiversity hotspots and 16 (of 17) megadiverse countries. The database contains more than 1% of the total number of all species described, and more than 1% of the described species within many taxonomic groups - including flowering plants, gymnosperms, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, beetles, lepidopterans and hymenopterans. The dataset, which is still being added to, is therefore already considerably larger and more representative than those used by previous quantitative models of biodiversity trends and responses. The database is being assembled as part of the PREDICTS project (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems - ). We make site-level summary data available alongside this article. The full database will be publicly available in 2015.
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3. |
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4. |
- Adrich, P., et al.
(author)
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Production of antihydrogen atoms by 6 keV antiprotons through a positronium cloud
- 2023
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In: European Physical Journal C. - : Springer Nature. - 1434-6044 .- 1434-6052. ; 83:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on the first production of an antihydrogen beam by charge exchange of 6.1 keV antiprotons with a cloud of positronium in the GBAR experiment at CERN. The 100 keV antiproton beam delivered by the AD/ELENA facility was further decelerated with a pulsed drift tube. A 9 MeV electron beam from a linear accelerator produced a low energy positron beam. The positrons were accumulated in a set of two Penning-Malmberg traps. The positronium target cloud resulted from the conversion of the positrons extracted from the traps. The antiproton beam was steered onto this positronium cloud to produce the antiatoms. We observe an excess over background indicating antihydrogen production with a significance of 3-4 standard deviations.
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5. |
- Banerjee, D., et al.
(author)
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Towards a test of the Weak Equivalence Principle of gravity using anti-hydrogen at CERN
- 2016
-
In: 2016 Conference On Precision Electromagnetic Measurements (CPEM 2016). - 9781467391344
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of the GBAR (Gravitational Behavior of Antimatter at Rest) experiment is to measure the free fall acceleration of an antihydrogen atom, in the terrestrial gravitational field at CERN and therefore test the Weak Equivalence Principle with antimatter. The aim is to measure the local gravity with a 1% uncertainty which can be reduced to few parts of 10(-3).
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6. |
- Blumer, P., et al.
(author)
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Positron accumulation in the GBAR experiment
- 2022
-
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 1040
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present a description of the GBAR positron (e+) trapping apparatus, which consists of a three stage Buffer Gas Trap (BGT) followed by a High Field Penning Trap (HFT), and discuss its performance. The overall goal of the GBAR experiment is to measure the acceleration of the neutral antihydrogen (H¯) atom in the terrestrial gravitational field by neutralising a positive antihydrogen ion (H¯+), which has been cooled to a low temperature, and observing the subsequent H¯ annihilation following free fall. To produce one H¯+ ion, about 1010 positrons, efficiently converted into positronium (Ps), together with about 107 antiprotons (p¯), are required. The positrons, produced from an electron linac-based system, are accumulated first in the BGT whereafter they are stacked in the ultra-high vacuum HFT, where we have been able to trap 1.4(2) × 109 positrons in 1100 s.
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7. |
- Charlton, M., et al.
(author)
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Positron production using a 9 MeV electron linac for the GBAR experiment
- 2021
-
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 985
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- For the GBAR (Gravitational Behaviour of Antihydrogen at Rest) experiment at CERN's Antiproton Decelerator (AD) facility we have constructed a source of slow positrons, which uses a low-energy electron linear accelerator (linac). The driver linac produces electrons of 9 MeV kinetic energy that create positrons from bremsstrahlung-induced pair production. Staying below 10 MeV ensures no persistent radioactive activation in the target zone and that the radiation level outside the biological shield is safe for public access. An annealed tungsten-mesh assembly placed directly behind the target acts as a positron moderator. The system produces 5 x 10(7) slow positrons per second, a performance demonstrating that a low-energy electron linac is a superior choice over positron-emitting radioactive sources for high positron flux.
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8. |
- Husson, A., et al.
(author)
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A pulsed high-voltage decelerator system to deliver low-energy antiprotons
- 2021
-
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 1002
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The GBAR (Gravitational Behavior of Antihydrogen at Rest) experiment at CERN requires efficient deceleration of 100 keV antiprotons provided by the new ELENA synchrotron ring to synthesize antihydrogen. This is accomplished using electrostatic deceleration optics and a drift tube that is designed to switch from -99 kV to ground when the antiproton bunch is inside – essentially a charged particle “elevator” – producing a 1 keV pulse. We describe the simulation, design, construction and successful testing of the decelerator device at -92 kV on-line with antiprotons from ELENA.
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9. |
- Kim, B. H., et al.
(author)
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Development of a PbWO4 Detector for Single-Shot Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy at the GBAR Experiment
- 2020
-
In: Acta Physica Polonica. A. - 0587-4246 .- 1898-794X. ; 137:2, s. 122-125
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We have developed a PbWO4 (PWO) detector with a large dynamic range to measure the intensity of a positron beam and the absolute density of the ortho-positronium (o-Ps) cloud it creates. A simulation study shows that a setup based on such detectors may be used to determine the angular distribution of the emission and reflection of o-Ps to reduce part of the uncertainties of the measurement. These will allow to improve the precision in the measurement of the cross-section for the (anti)hydrogen formation by (anti)proton-positronium charge exchange and to optimize the yield of antihydrogen ion which is an essential parameter in the GBAR experiment.
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10. |
- Landin-Olsson, Mona, et al.
(author)
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Immunoreactive trypsin(Ogen) in the sera of children with recent-onset insulin-dependent diabetes and matched controls
- 1990
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In: Pancreas. - : Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). - 0885-3177. ; 5:3, s. 241-247
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To evaluate the exocrine pancreatic function at the time of diagnosis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, we determined immunoreactive an-odal and cathodal trypsin(ogen) levels in sera from almost all children (n = 375) 0-14 years of age in Sweden in whom diabetes developed during 1 year, and in sex-, age-, and geographically matched control subjects (n = 312). The median level of anodal trypsin(ogen) was 5 (quartile range, 3-7) µg/L in children with newly diagnosed diabetes, compared with a median level of 7 (quartile range, 4-8) µg/L in control subjects (p < 0.0001). Similarly, the median level of cathodal trypsin(ogen) was 8 (quartile range, 4-10) µg/L in children with diabetes, compared with a median level of 11 (quartile range, 7-15) µg/L in control subjects (p < 0.0001). The median of the individual ratios between cathodal and anodal trypsin(ogen) was 1.4 in the diabetic patients and 1.7 in the control children (p < 0.001). In a multivariate test, however, only the decrease in cathodal trypsin(ogen) concentration was associated with diabetes. The levels of trypsin(ogen)s did not correlate with levels of islet cell antibodies, present in 81% of the diabetic children. Several mechanisms may explain our findings, for example, similar pathogenetic factors may affect both the endocrine and exocrine pancreas simultaneously, a failing local trophic stimulation by insulin on the exocrine cells may decrease the trypsinogen production, and there may be an increased elimination of trypsin(ogen) because of higher filtration through the kidneys in the hyperglycemic state.
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11. |
- Niang, S., et al.
(author)
-
Accumulation of Positrons from a LINAC Based Source
- 2020
-
In: Acta Physica Polonica. A. - 0587-4246 .- 1898-794X. ; 137:2, s. 164-166
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The GBAR experiment aims to measure the gravitational acceleration of antihydrogen (H) over bar. It will use (H) over bar (+) ions formed by the interaction of antiprotons with a dense positronium cloud, which will require about 1010 positrons to produce one (H) over bar (+). We present the first results on the positron accumulation, reaching 3.8 +/- 0.4x10(8) e(+) collected in 560 s.
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12. |
- Sanjeevi, Carani B., et al.
(author)
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The risk conferred by HLA-DR and DQ for type 1 diabetes in 0-35-year age group are different in different regions of Sweden
- 2008
-
In: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. - : Wiley. - 0077-8923 .- 1749-6632. - 9781573317337 ; 1150, s. 106-11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- HLA DR4-DQ8 and DR3-DQ2 haplotypes account for 89% of newly diagnosed cases of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Sweden. The presence of a single copy of DQ6 confers protection. The aim of the present study is to evaluate whether the risk conferred by high risk HLA DR and DQ to T1D is similar in all regions of Sweden and see whether there are any significant regional differences. The subjects comprised 799 consecutively diagnosed T1D patients and 585 age-, sex-, and geography-matched healthy controls in the age group 0-35 years. HLA typing for high-risk haplotypes was previously performed using PCR-SSOP and RFLP. The results showed that HLA DR3-DR4 gave an odds ratio of 8.14 for the whole of Sweden. However, when the study group was divided into six geographical regions, subjects from Stockholm had the highest OR, followed by those from Lund, Linköping, Gothenburg, Umeå, and Uppsala. Absolute protection was conferred by the presence of DQ6 in subjects from the Linköping region, but varied in the other regions. The frequency of DR3 and DQ2, DR4 and DQ8, DR15, and DQ6 in patients showed high linkage for each region, but were different between regions. In conclusion: The risk conferred by high-risk HLA varies in different regions for a homogenous population in Sweden. The results highlight the important role played by the various environmental factors in the precipitation of T1D.
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13. |
- Perez, P., et al.
(author)
-
The GBAR antimatter gravity experiment
- 2015
-
In: Hyperfine Interactions. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0304-3843 .- 1572-9540. ; , s. 21-27
-
Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The GBAR project (Gravitational Behaviour of Anti hydrogen at Rest) at CERN, aims to measure the free fall acceleration of ultracold neutral anti hydrogen atoms in the terrestrial gravitational field. The experiment consists preparing anti hydrogen ions (one antiproton and two positrons) and sympathetically cooling them with Be (+) ions to less than 10 mu K. The ultracold ions will then be photo-ionized just above threshold, and the free fall time over a known distance measured. We will describe the project, the accuracy that can be reached by standard techniques, and discuss a possible improvement to reduce the vertical velocity spread.
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14. |
- Sun, Chengjun, et al.
(author)
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CRYAB-650 C>G (rs2234702) affects susceptibility to type 1 diabetes and IAA-positivity in Swedish population
- 2012
-
In: Human Immunology. - : Elsevier. - 0198-8859 .- 1879-1166. ; 73:7, s. 759-766
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the promoter region of CRYAB gene have been associated with in multiple sclerosis. CRYAB gene, which encodes alpha B-crystallin (a member of small heat shock protein), was reported as a potential autoimmune target. In this study we investigated whether SNPs in the promoter region of CRYAB gene were also important in the etiology of Type 1 diabetes (T1D).METHODS: Genotyping of SNPs in the promoter region of CRYAB gene was performed in a Swedish cohort containing 444 T1D patients and 350 healthy controls. Three SNPs were included in this study: CRYAB-652 A>G (rs762550), -650 C>G (rs2234702) and -249 C > G (rs14133). Two SNPs (CRYAB-652 and -650) were not included in previous genome wide association studies.RESULTS: CRYAB-650 (rs2234702)*C allele was significantly more frequent in patients than in controls (OR = 1.48, Pc = 0.03). CRYAB-650*C allele was associated with IAA positivity (OR = 8.17, Pc < 0.0001) and IA-2A positivity (OR = 2.14, Pc = 0.005) in T1D patients. This association with IAA was amplified by high-risk HLA carrier state (OR = 10.6, P < 0.0001). No association was found between CRYAB-650 and other autoantibody positivity (GADA and ICA). CRYAB haplotypes were also associated with IAA and IA-2A positivity (highest OR = 2.07 and 2.11, respectively), these associations remain in high HLA-risk T1D patients.CONCLUSIONS: CRYAB-650 was associated with T1D in the Swedish cohort we studied. CRYAB-650*C allele might confers susceptibility to the development of T1D. CRYAB-650 was also associated with the development of IAA-positivity in T1D patients, especially in those carrying T1D high-risk HLA haplotypes.
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15. |
- Ahmadi, M., et al.
(author)
-
Antihydrogen accumulation for fundamental symmetry tests
- 2017
-
In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Antihydrogen, a positron bound to an antiproton, is the simplest anti-atom. Its structure and properties are expected to mirror those of the hydrogen atom. Prospects for precision comparisons of the two, as tests of fundamental symmetries, are driving a vibrant programme of research. In this regard, a limiting factor in most experiments is the availability of large numbers of cold ground state antihydrogen atoms. Here, we describe how an improved synthesis process results in a maximum rate of 10.5 +/- 0.6 atoms trapped and detected per cycle, corresponding to more than an order of magnitude improvement over previous work. Additionally, we demonstrate how detailed control of electron, positron and antiproton plasmas enables repeated formation and trapping of antihydrogen atoms, with the simultaneous retention of atoms produced in previous cycles. We report a record of 54 detected annihilation events from a single release of the trapped anti-atoms accumulated from five consecutive cycles.
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16. |
- Ahmadi, M., et al.
(author)
-
Characterization of the 1S-2S transition in antihydrogen
- 2018
-
In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 557:7703, s. 71-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In 1928, Dirac published an equation(1) that combined quantum mechanics and special relativity. Negative-energy solutions to this equation, rather than being unphysical as initially thought, represented a class of hitherto unobserved and unimagined particles-antimatter. The existence of particles of antimatter was confirmed with the discovery of the positron(2) (or anti-electron) by Anderson in 1932, but it is still unknown why matter, rather than antimatter, survived after the Big Bang. As a result, experimental studies of antimatter(3-7), including tests of fundamental symmetries such as charge-parity and charge-parity-time, and searches for evidence of primordial antimatter, such as antihelium nuclei, have high priority in contemporary physics research. The fundamental role of the hydrogen atom in the evolution of the Universe and in the historical development of our understanding of quantum physics makes its antimatter counterpart-the antihydrogen atom-of particular interest. Current standard-model physics requires that hydrogen and antihydrogen have the same energy levels and spectral lines. The laser-driven 1S-2S transition was recently observed(8) in antihydrogen. Here we characterize one of the hyperfine components of this transition using magnetically trapped atoms of antihydrogen and compare it to model calculations for hydrogen in our apparatus. We find that the shape of the spectral line agrees very well with that expected for hydrogen and that the resonance frequency agrees with that in hydrogen to about 5 kilohertz out of 2.5 x 10(15) hertz. This is consistent with charge-parity-time invariance at a relative precision of 2 x 10(-12)-two orders of magnitude more precise than the previous determination(8)-corresponding to an absolute energy sensitivity of 2 x 10(-20) GeV.
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17. |
- Ahmadi, M., et al.
(author)
-
Enhanced Control and Reproducibility of Non-Neutral Plasmas
- 2018
-
In: Physical Review Letters. - 0031-9007 .- 1079-7114. ; 120:2
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The simultaneous control of the density and particle number of non-neutral plasmas confined in Penning-Malmberg traps is demonstrated. Control is achieved by setting the plasma's density by applying a rotating electric field while simultaneously fixing its axial potential via evaporative cooling. This novel method is particularly useful for stabilizing positron plasmas, as the procedures used to collect positrons from radioactive sources typically yield plasmas with variable densities and particle numbers; it also simplifies optimization studies that require plasma parameter scans. The reproducibility achieved by applying this technique to the positron and electron plasmas used by the ALPHA antihydrogen experiment at CERN, combined with other developments, contributed to a 10-fold increase in the antiatom trapping rate.
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18. |
- Ahmadi, M., et al.
(author)
-
Investigation of the fine structure of antihydrogen
- 2020
-
In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 578:7795, s. 375-380
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- At the historic Shelter Island Conference on the Foundations of Quantum Mechanics in 1947, Willis Lamb reported an unexpected feature in the fine structure of atomic hydrogen: a separation of the 2S(1/2) and 2P(1/2) states(1). The observation of this separation, now known as the Lamb shift, marked an important event in the evolution of modern physics, inspiring others to develop the theory of quantum electrodynamics(2-5). Quantum electrodynamics also describes antimatter, but it has only recently become possible to synthesize and trap atomic antimatter to probe its structure. Mirroring the historical development of quantum atomic physics in the twentieth century, modern measurements on anti-atoms represent a unique approach for testing quantum electrodynamics and the foundational symmetries of the standard model. Here we report measurements of the fine structure in the n = 2 states of antihydrogen, the antimatter counterpart of the hydrogen atom. Using optical excitation of the 1S-2P Lyman-alpha transitions in antihydrogen(6), we determine their frequencies in a magnetic field of 1 tesla to a precision of 16 parts per billion. Assuming the standard Zeeman and hyperfine interactions, we infer the zero-field fine-structure splitting (2P(1/2)-2P(3/2)) in antihydrogen. The resulting value is consistent with the predictions of quantum electrodynamics to a precision of 2 per cent. Using our previously measured value of the 1S-2S transition frequency(6,7), we find that the classic Lamb shift in antihydrogen (2S(1/2)-2P(1/2) splitting at zero field) is consistent with theory at a level of 11 per cent. Our observations represent an important step towards precision measurements of the fine structure and the Lamb shift in the antihydrogen spectrum as tests of the charge-parity-time symmetry(8) and towards the determination of other fundamental quantities, such as the antiproton charge radius(9,10), in this antimatter system. Precision measurements of the 1S-2P transition in antihydrogen that take into account the standard Zeeman and hyperfine effects confirm the predictions of quantum electrodynamics.
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19. |
- Ahmadi, M., et al.
(author)
-
Observation of the 1S-2P Lyman-alpha transition in antihydrogen
- 2018
-
In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 561:7722, s. 211-217
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In 1906, Theodore Lyman discovered his eponymous series of transitions in the extreme-ultraviolet region of the atomic hydrogen spectrum(1,2). The patterns in the hydrogen spectrum helped to establish the emerging theory of quantum mechanics, which we now know governs the world at the atomic scale. Since then, studies involving the Lyman-alpha line-the 1S-2P transition at a wavelength of 121.6 nanometres-have played an important part in physics and astronomy, as one of the most fundamental atomic transitions in the Universe. For example, this transition has long been used by astronomers studying the intergalactic medium and testing cosmological models via the so-called 'Lyman-alpha forest('3) of absorption lines at different redshifts. Here we report the observation of the Lyman-alpha transition in the antihydrogen atom, the antimatter counterpart of hydrogen. Using narrow-line-width, nanosecond-pulsed laser radiation, the 1S-2P transition was excited in magnetically trapped antihydrogen. The transition frequency at a field of 1.033 tesla was determined to be 2,466,051.7 +/- 0.12 gigahertz (1 sigma uncertainty) and agrees with the prediction for hydrogen to a precision of 5 x 10(-8). Comparisons of the properties of antihydrogen with those of its well-studied matter equivalent allow precision tests of fundamental symmetries between matter ;and antimatter. Alongside the ground-state hyperfine(4,5) and 1S-2S transitions(6,7) recently observed in antihydrogen, the Lyman-alpha transition will permit laser cooling of antihydrogen(8,9), thus providing a cold and dense sample of anti-atoms for precision spectroscopy and gravity measurements(10). In addition to the observation of this fundamental transition, this work represents both a decisive technological step towards laser cooling of antihydrogen, and the extension of antimatter spectroscopy to quantum states possessing orbital angular momentum.
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20. |
- Ahmadi, M., et al.
(author)
-
Observation of the 1S-2S transition in trapped antihydrogen
- 2017
-
In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 541:7638, s. 506-510
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The spectrum of the hydrogen atom has played a central part in fundamental physics over the past 200 years. Historical examples of its importance include the wavelength measurements of absorption lines in the solar spectrum by Fraunhofer, the identification of transition lines by Balmer, Lyman and others, the empirical description of allowed wavelengths by Rydberg, the quantum model of Bohr, the capability of quantum electrodynamics to precisely predict transition frequencies, and modern measurements of the 1S-2S transition by Hansch1 to a precision of a few parts in 10(15). Recent technological advances have allowed us to focus on antihydrogen-the antimatter equivalent of hydrogen(2-4). The Standard Model predicts that there should have been equal amounts of matter and antimatter in the primordial Universe after the Big Bang, but today's Universe is observed to consist almost entirely of ordinary matter. This motivates the study of antimatter, to see if there is a small asymmetry in the laws of physics that govern the two types of matter. In particular, the CPT (charge conjugation, parity reversal and time reversal) theorem, a cornerstone of the Standard Model, requires that hydrogen and antihydrogen have the same spectrum. Here we report the observation of the 1S-2S transition in magnetically trapped atoms of antihydrogen. We determine that the frequency of the transition, which is driven by two photons from a laser at 243 nanometres, is consistent with that expected for hydrogen in the same environment. This laser excitation of a quantum state of an atom of antimatter represents the most precise measurement performed on an anti-atom. Our result is consistent with CPT invariance at a relative precision of about 2 x 10(-10).
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21. |
- Ahmadi, M., et al.
(author)
-
Observation of the hyperfine spectrum of antihydrogen
- 2017
-
In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 548:7665, s. 66-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The observation of hyperfine structure in atomic hydrogen by Rabi and co-workers(1-3) and the measurement(4) of the zero-field ground-state splitting at the level of seven parts in 10(13) are important achievements of mid-twentieth-century physics. The work that led to these achievements also provided the first evidence for the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron(5-8), inspired Schwinger's relativistic theory of quantum electrodynamics(9,10) and gave rise to the hydrogen maser(11), which is a critical component of modern navigation, geo-positioning and very-long-baseline interferometry systems. Research at the Antiproton Decelerator at CERN by the ALPHA collaboration extends these enquiries into the antimatter sector. Recently, tools have been developed that enable studies of the hyperfine structure of antihydrogen(12)-the antimatter counterpart of hydrogen. The goal of such studies is to search for any differences that might exist between this archetypal pair of atoms, and thereby to test the fundamental principles on which quantum field theory is constructed. Magnetic trapping of antihydrogen atoms(13,14) provides a means of studying them by combining electromagnetic interaction with detection techniques that are unique to antimatter(12,15). Here we report the results of a microwave spectroscopy experiment in which we probe the response of antihydrogen over a controlled range of frequencies. The data reveal clear and distinct signatures of two allowed transitions, from which we obtain a direct, magnetic-field-independent measurement of the hyperfine splitting. From a set of trials involving 194 detected atoms, we determine a splitting of 1,420.4 +/- 0.5 megahertz, consistent with expectations for atomic hydrogen at the level of four parts in 10(4). This observation of the detailed behaviour of a quantum transition in an atom of antihydrogen exemplifies tests of fundamental symmetries such as charge-parity-time in antimatter, and the techniques developed here will enable more-precise such tests.
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22. |
- Amole, C., et al.
(author)
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Discriminating between antihydrogen and mirror-trapped antiprotons in a minimum-B trap
- 2012
-
In: New Journal of Physics. - : IOP Publishing. - 1367-2630. ; 14, s. 015010-
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recently, antihydrogen atoms were trapped at CERN in a magnetic minimum (minimum-B) trap formed by superconducting octupole and mirror magnet coils. The trapped antiatoms were detected by rapidly turning off these magnets, thereby eliminating the magnetic minimum and releasing any antiatoms contained in the trap. Once released, these antiatoms quickly hit the trap wall, whereupon the positrons and antiprotons in the antiatoms annihilate. The antiproton annihilations produce easily detected signals; we used these signals to prove that we trapped antihydrogen. However, our technique could be confounded by mirror-trapped antiprotons, which would produce seemingly identical annihilation signals upon hitting the trap wall. In this paper, we discuss possible sources of mirror-trapped antiprotons and show that antihydrogen and antiprotons can be readily distinguished, often with the aid of applied electric fields, by analyzing the annihilation locations and times. We further discuss the general properties of antiproton and antihydrogen trajectories in this magnetic geometry, and reconstruct the antihydrogen energy distribution from the measured annihilation time history.
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23. |
- Amole, C., et al.
(author)
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Silicon vertex detector upgrade in the ALPHA experiment
- 2013
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In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 732, s. 134-136
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Silicon Vertex Detector (SVD) is the main diagnostic tool in the ALPHA-experiment. It provides precise spatial and timing information of antiproton (antihydrogen) annihilation events (vertices), and most importantly, the SVD is capable of directly identifying and analysing single annihilation events, thereby forming the basis of ALPHA's analysis. This paper describes the ALPHA SVD and its upgrade, installed in the ALPHA's new neutral atom trap.
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24. |
- Amole, C., et al.
(author)
-
The ALPHA antihydrogen trapping apparatus
- 2014
-
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 735, s. 319-340
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ALPHA collaboration, based at CERN, has recently succeeded in confining cold antihydrogen atoms in a magnetic minimum neutral atom trap and has performed the first study of a resonant transition of the anti-atoms. The ALPHA apparatus will be described herein, with emphasis on the structural aspects, diagnostic methods and techniques that have enabled antihydrogen trapping and experimentation to be achieved.
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25. |
- Andresen, G. B., et al.
(author)
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Antihydrogen annihilation reconstruction with the ALPHA silicon detector
- 2012
-
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-9002 .- 1872-9576. ; 684, s. 73-81
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ALPHA experiment has succeeded in trapping antihydrogen, a major milestone on the road to spectroscopic comparisons of antihydrogen with hydrogen. An annihilation vertex detector, which determines the time and position of antiproton annihilations, has been central to this achievement. This detector, an array of double-sided silicon microstrip detector modules arranged in three concentric cylindrical tiers, is sensitive to the passage of charged particles resulting from antiproton annihilation. This article describes the method used to reconstruct the annihilation location and to distinguish the annihilation signal from the cosmic ray background. Recent experimental results using this detector are outlined.
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