arXiv subjects

C. Amsler

Publications and source records attributed to C. Amsler.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Measurement of the Principal Quantum Number Distribution in a Beam of Antihydrogen Atoms

The ASACUSA (Atomic Spectroscopy And Collisions Using Slow Antiprotons) collaboration plans to measure the ground-state hyperfine splitting of antihydrogen in a beam at the CERN Antiproton Decelerator with initial relative precision of 10-6 or better, to test the fundamental CPT (combination of charge conjugation, parity transformation and time reversal) symmetry between matter and antimatter. This challenging goal requires a polarised antihydrogen beam with a sufficient number of antihydrogen atoms in the ground state. The first measurement of the quantum state distribution of antihydrogen atoms in a low magnetic field environment of a few mT is described. Furthermore, the data-driven machine learning analysis to identify antihydrogen events is discussed.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Spin Density Matrix of the $ω$ in the Reaction $\bar{p} p \, \rightarrow \, ωπ^0$

The spin density matrix of the $ω$ has been determined for the reaction $\bar{p} p \, \rightarrow \, ωπ^0$ with unpolarized in-flight data measured by the Crystal Barrel LEAR experiment at CERN. The two main decay modes of the $ω$ into $π^0 γ$ and $π^+ π^- π^0$ have been separately analyzed for various $\bar{p}$ momenta between 600 and 1940 MeV/c. The results obtained with the usual method by extracting the matrix elements via the $ω$ decay angular distributions and with the more sophisticated method via a full partial wave analysis are in good agreement. A strong spin alignment of the $ω$ is clearly visible in this energy regime and all individual spin density matrix elements exhibit an oscillatory dependence on the production angle. In addition, the largest contributing orbital angular momentum of the $\bar{p}p$ system has been identified for the different beam momenta. It increases from $L^{max}_{\bar{p}p}$ = 2 at 600 MeV/c to $L^{max}_{\bar{p}p}$ = 5 at 1940 MeV/c.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2020

Coupled Channel Analysis of $\bar{p} p \rightarrow π^0 π^0 η$, $π^0 ηη$ and $K^+ K^- π^0$ at 900 $MeV/c$ and of $ππ$-Scattering Data

A partial wave analysis of antiproton-proton annihilation data in flight at 900 $MeV/c$ into $π^0 π^0 η$ , $π^0 ηη$ and $K^+ K^- π^0$ is presented. The data were taken at LEAR by the Crystal Barrel experiment in 1996. The three channels have been coupled together with $ππ$-scattering isospin I=0 S- and D-wave as well as I=1 P-wave data utilizing the K-matrix approach. Analyticity is treated using Chew-Mandelstam functions. In the fit all ingredients of the K-matrix, including resonance masses and widths, were treated as free parameters. In spite of the large number of parameters, the fit results are in the ballpark of the values published by the Particle Data Group. In the channel $π^0 π^0 η$ a significant contribution of the spin exotic $I^G=1^-$ $J^{PC}=1^{-+}$ $π_1$-wave with a coupling to $π^0 η$ is observed. Furthermore the contributions of $ϕ(1020) π^0$ and $K^*(892)^\pm K^\mp$ in the channel $K^+ K^- π^0$ have been studied in detail. The differential production cross section for the two reactions and the spin-density-matrix elements for the $ϕ(1020)$ and $K^*(892)^\pm$ have been extracted. No spin-alignment is observed for both vector mesons. The spin density matrix elements have been also determined for the spin exotic wave.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2019

Velocity selected production of $2^3S$ metastable positronium

Positronium in the $2^3S$ metastable state exhibits a low electrical polarizability and a long lifetime (1140 ns) making it a promising candidate for interferometry experiments with a neutral matter-antimatter system. In the present work, $2^3S$ positronium is produced - in absence of electric field - via spontaneous radiative decay from the $3^3P$ level populated with a 205nm UV laser pulse. Thanks to the short temporal length of the pulse, 1.5 ns full-width at half maximum, different velocity populations of a positronium cloud emitted from a nanochannelled positron/positronium converter were selected by delaying the excitation pulse with respect to the production instant. $ 2^3S $ positronium atoms with velocity tuned between $ 7 \cdot 10^4 $ m/s and $ 10 \cdot 10^4 $ m/s were thus produced. Depending on the selected velocity, a $2^3S$ production effciency ranging from $\sim 0.8 \%$ to $\sim 1.7%$, with respect to the total amount of emitted positronium, was obtained. The observed results give a branching ratio for the $3^3P$-$2^3S$ spontaneous decay of $(9.7 \pm 2.7) \% $. The present velocity selection technique could allow to produce an almost monochromatic beam of $\sim 1 \cdot 10^3 $ $2^3S$ atoms with a velocity spread $ < 10^4 $ m/s and an angular divergence of $\sim$ 50 mrad.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2019

Antiproton beams with low energy spread for antihydrogen production

A low energy antiproton transport from the ASACUSA antiproton accumulation trap (MUSASHI trap) to the antihydrogen production trap (double cusp trap) is developed. The longitudinal antiproton energy spread after the transport line is 0.23 +- 0.02 eV, compared with 15 eV with a previous method used in 2012. This reduction is achieved by an adiabatic transport beamline with several pulse-driven coaxial coils. Antihydrogen atoms are synthesized by directly injecting the antiprotons into a positron plasma, resulting in the higher production rate.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2018

A hydrogen beam to characterize the ASACUSA antihydrogen hyperfine spectrometer

The antihydrogen programme of the ASACUSA collaboration at the antiproton decelerator of CERN focuses on Rabi-type measurements of the ground-state hyperfine splitting of antihydrogen for a test of the combined Charge-Parity-Time symmetry. The spectroscopy apparatus consists of a microwave cavity to drive hyperfine transitions and a superconducting sextupole magnet for quantum state analysis via Stern-Gerlach separation. However, the small production rates of antihydrogen forestall comprehensive performance studies on the spectroscopy apparatus. For this purpose a hydrogen source and detector have been developed which in conjunction with ASACUSA's hyperfine spectroscopy equipment form a complete Rabi experiment. We report on the formation of a cooled, polarized, and time modulated beam of atomic hydrogen and its detection using a quadrupole mass spectrometer and a lock-in amplification scheme. In addition key features of ASACUSA's hyperfine spectroscopy apparatus are discussed.t

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2018

Hyperfine spectroscopy of hydrogen and antihydrogen in ASACUSA

The ASACUSA collaboration at the Antiproton Decelerator of CERN aims at a precise measurement of the antihydrogen ground-state hyperfine structure as a test of the fundamental CPT symmetry. A beam of antihydrogen atoms is formed in a CUSP trap, undergoes Rabi-type spectroscopy and is detected downstream in a dedicated antihydrogen detector. In parallel measurements using a polarized hydrogen beam are being performed to commission the spectroscopy apparatus and to perform measurements of parameters of the Standard Model Extension (SME). The current status of antihydrogen spectroscopy is reviewed and progress of ASACUSA is presented.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2018

Producing long-lived $2^3\text{S}$ Ps via $3^3\text{P}$ laser excitation in magnetic and electric fields

Producing positronium (Ps) in the metastable $2^3\text{S}$ state is of interest for various applications in fundamental physics. We report here about an experiment in which Ps atoms are produced in this long-lived state by spontaneous radiative decay of Ps excited to the $3^3\text{P}$ level manifold. The Ps cloud excitation is obtained with a UV laser pulse in an experimental vacuum chamber in presence of guiding magnetic field of 25 mT and an average electric field of 300 V/cm. The indication of the $2^3\text{S}$ state production is obtained from a novel analysis technique of single-shot positronium annihilation lifetime spectra. Its production efficiency relative to the total amount of formed Ps is evaluated by fitting a simple rate equations model to the experimental data and found to be $ (2.1 \pm 1.3) \, \% $.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2017

The ASACUSA antihydrogen and hydrogen program : results and prospects

The goal of the ASACUSA-CUSP collaboration at the Antiproton Decelerator of CERN is to measure the ground-state hyperfine splitting of antihydrogen using an atomic spectroscopy beamline. A milestone was achieved in 2012 through the detection of 80 antihydrogen atoms 2.7 meters away from their production region. This was the first observation of "cold" antihydrogen atoms in a magnetic field free region. In parallel to the progress on the antihydrogen production, the spectroscopy beamline was tested with a source of hydrogen. This led to a measurement at a relative precision of 2.7x 10^(-9) which constitues the most precise measurement of the hydrogen hyperfine splitting in a beam. Further measurements with an upgraded hydrogen apparatus are motivated by CPT and Lorentz violation tests in the framework of the Standard Model Extension. Unlike for hydrogen, the antihydrogen experiment is complicated by the difficulty of synthesizing enough cold antiatoms in ground-state. The first antihydrogen quantum states scan at the entrance of the spectroscopy apparatus was realized in 2016 and is presented here. The prospects for a ppm measurement are also discussed.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2017

Measurement of the $πK$ atom lifetime and the $πK$ scattering length

After having announced the statistically significant observation (5.6~$σ$) of the new exotic $πK$ atom, the DIRAC experiment at the CERN proton synchrotron presents the measurement of the corresponding atom lifetime, based on the full $πK$ data sample: $τ= (5.5^{+5.0}_{-2.8}) \cdot 10^{-15}s$. By means of a precise relation ($<1\%$) between atom lifetime and scattering length, the following value for the S-wave isospin-odd $πK$ scattering length $a_0^{-}~=~\frac{1}{3}(a_{1/2}-a_{3/2})$ has been derived: $\left|a_0^-\right| = (0.072^{+0.031}_{-0.020}) M_π^{-1}$.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2017

Measurement of antiproton annihilation on Cu, Ag and Au with emulsion films

The characteristics of low energy antiproton annihilations on nuclei (e.g. hadronization and product multiplicities) are not well known, and Monte Carlo simulation packages that use different models provide different descriptions of the annihilation events. In this study, we measured the particle multiplicities resulting from antiproton annihilations on nuclei. The results were compared with predictions obtained using different models in the simulation tools GEANT4 and FLUKA. For this study, we exposed thin targets (Cu, Ag and Au) to a very low energy antiproton beam from CERN's Antiproton Decelerator, exploiting the secondary beamline available in the AEgIS experimental zone. The antiproton annihilation products were detected using emulsion films developed at the Laboratory of High Energy Physics in Bern, where they were analysed at the automatic microscope facility. The fragment multiplicity measured in this study is in good agreement with results obtained with FLUKA simulations for both minimally and heavily ionizing particles.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2016

DARWIN: towards the ultimate dark matter detector

DARk matter WImp search with liquid xenoN (DARWIN) will be an experiment for the direct detection of dark matter using a multi-ton liquid xenon time projection chamber at its core. Its primary goal will be to explore the experimentally accessible parameter space for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) in a wide mass-range, until neutrino interactions with the target become an irreducible background. The prompt scintillation light and the charge signals induced by particle interactions in the xenon will be observed by VUV sensitive, ultra-low background photosensors. Besides its excellent sensitivity to WIMPs above a mass of 5 GeV/c2, such a detector with its large mass, low-energy threshold and ultra-low background level will also be sensitive to other rare interactions. It will search for solar axions, galactic axion-like particles and the neutrinoless double-beta decay of 136-Xe, as well as measure the low-energy solar neutrino flux with <1% precision, observe coherent neutrino-nucleus interactions, and detect galactic supernovae. We present the concept of the DARWIN detector and discuss its physics reach, the main sources of backgrounds and the ongoing detector design and R&D efforts.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2015

Scintillation efficiency of liquid argon in low energy neutron-argon scattering

Experiments searching for weak interacting massive particles with noble gases such as liquid argon require very low detection thresholds for nuclear recoils. A determination of the scintillation efficiency is crucial to quantify the response of the detector at low energy. We report the results obtained with a small liquid argon cell using a monoenergetic neutron beam produced by a deuterium-deuterium fusion source. The light yield relative to electrons was measured for six argon recoil energies between 11 and 120 keV at zero electric drift field.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2014

First $πK$ atom lifetime and $πK$ scattering length measurements

The results of a search for hydrogen-like atoms consisting of $π^{\mp}K^{\pm}$ mesons are presented. Evidence for $πK$ atom production by 24 GeV/c protons from CERN PS interacting with a nickel target has been seen in terms of characteristic $πK$ pairs from their breakup in the same target ($178 \pm 49$) and from Coulomb final state interaction ($653 \pm 42$). Using these results the analysis yields a first value for the $πK$ atom lifetime of $τ=(2.5_{-1.8}^{+3.0})$ fs and a first model-independent measurement of the S-wave isospin-odd $πK$ scattering length $\left|a_0^-\right|=\frac{1}{3}\left|a_{1/2}-a_{3/2}\right|= \left(0.11_{-0.04}^{+0.09} \right)M_π^{-1}$ ($a_I$ for isospin $I$).

nucl-ex↗

arXiv2013

Prospects for measuring the gravitational free-fall of antihydrogen with emulsion detectors

The main goal of the AEgIS experiment at CERN is to test the weak equivalence principle for antimatter. AEgIS will measure the free-fall of an antihydrogen beam traversing a moiré deflectometer. The goal is to determine the gravitational acceleration g for antihydrogen with an initial relative accuracy of 1% by using an emulsion detector combined with a silicon micro-strip detector to measure the time of flight. Nuclear emulsions can measure the annihilation vertex of antihydrogen atoms with a precision of about 1 - 2 microns r.m.s. We present here results for emulsion detectors operated in vacuum using low energy antiprotons from the CERN antiproton decelerator. We compare with Monte Carlo simulations, and discuss the impact on the AEgIS project.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2012

A new application of emulsions to measure the gravitational force on antihydrogen

We propose to build and operate a detector based on the emulsion film technology for the measurement of the gravitational acceleration on antimatter, to be performed by the AEgIS experiment (AD6) at CERN. The goal of AEgIS is to test the weak equivalence principle with a precision of 1% on the gravitational acceleration g by measuring the vertical position of the anni- hilation vertex of antihydrogen atoms after their free fall in a horizontal vacuum pipe. With the emulsion technology developed at the University of Bern we propose to improve the performance of AEgIS by exploiting the superior position resolution of emulsion films over other particle de- tectors. The idea is to use a new type of emulsion films, especially developed for applications in vacuum, to yield a spatial resolution of the order of one micron in the measurement of the sag of the antihydrogen atoms in the gravitational field. This is an order of magnitude better than what was planned in the original AEgIS proposal.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2012

Study of nuclear recoils in liquid argon with monoenergetic neutrons

For the development of liquid argon dark matter detectors we assembled a setup in the laboratory to scatter neutrons on a small liquid argon target. The neutrons are produced mono-energetically (E_kin=2.45 MeV) by nuclear fusion in a deuterium plasma and are collimated onto a 3" liquid argon cell operating in single-phase mode (zero electric field). Organic liquid scintillators are used to tag scattered neutrons and to provide a time-of-flight measurement. The setup is designed to study light pulse shapes and scintillation yields from nuclear and electronic recoils as well as from α-particles at working points relevant to dark matter searches. Liquid argon offers the possibility to scrutinise scintillation yields in noble liquids with respect to the populations of the two fundamental excimer states. Here we present experimental methods and first results from recent data towards such studies.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2011

Search for WIMPs in liquid argon

Our group from the University of Zurich is performing R&D work towards the design of a large liquid argon detector to detect Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). This project is developed within the DARWIN Collaboration funded by ASPERA to prepare a proposal for the next generation of WIMP searches using noble liquids. We are performing R&D to detect the VUV light from recoiling argon nuclei. Results obtained with one ton of liquid argon (ArDM prototype) and prospects using a monoenergetic neutron source are discussed.

physics.ins-det↗