Treatment of non-Gaussian noise in invariant mass calculations

The Gaussian Sum Filter is a track reconstruction algorithm for treating energy loss by bremsstrahlung, and produces non-Gaussian estimates for the track parameters. This thesis explores a method of propagating these non-Gaussian errors into a non-Gaussian estimate of the invariant mass. It is tested if the method can be used to improve the invariant mass resolution in ATLAS, and if it gives a good description of the errors on the invariant mass. The result showed that the invariant mass resolution is not improved, but a large improvement in the description of errors is found

Comparison of planar and 3D silicon pixel sensors used for detection of low energy antiprotons

The principle aim of the AEḡIS experiment at CERN is to measure the acceleration of antihydrogen due to Earth’s gravitational field. This would be a test of the Weak Equivalence Principle, which states that all bodies fall with the same acceleration independently of their mass and composition. The effect of Earth’s gravitational field on antimatter will be determined by measuring the deflection of the path of the antihydrogen from a straight line. The position of the antihydrogen will be found by detecting its annihilation on the surface of a silicon detector. The gravitational measurement in AEḡIS will be performed with a gravity module, which includes the silicon detector, an emulsion detector and a scintillating fibre time-offlight detector. As the experiment attempts to determine the gravitational acceleration with a precision of 1 %, a position resolution better than 10 μm is required. Here we present the results of a study of antiproton annihilations in a 3D silicon pixel sensor and compare the results with a previous study using a monolithic active pixel sensor. This work is part of a larger study on different silicon sensor technologies needed for the development of a silicon position detector for the AEḡIS experiment. The 3D detector together with its readout electronics have been originally designed for the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The direct annihilation of low energy antiprotons (∼ 100 keV) takes place in the first few μm of the silicon sensor and we show that the charged products of the annihilation can be detected with the same sensor. The present study also aims to understand the signature of an antiproton annihilation event in segmented silicon detectors and compares it with a GEANT4 simulation model. These results will be used to determine the geometrical and process parameters to be adopted by the silicon annihilation detector to be installed in AEḡIS

Positron bunching and electrostatic transport system for the production and emission of dense positronium clouds into vacuum

We describe a system designed to re-bunch positron pulses delivered by an accumulator supplied by a positron source and a Surko-trap. Positron pulses from the accumulator are magnetically guided in a 0.085 T field and are injected into a region free of magnetic fields through a μμ-metal field terminator. Here positrons are temporally compressed, electrostatically guided and accelerated towards a porous silicon target for the production and emission of positronium into vacuum. Positrons are focused in a spot of less than 4 mm FWTM in bunches of ∼8 ns FWHM. Emission of positronium into the vacuum is shown by single shot positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

Towards the first measurement of matter-antimatter gravitational interaction

The AEgIS (Antimatter Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy) is a CERN based experiment with the central aim to measure directly the gravitational acceleration of antihydrogen. Antihydrogen atoms will be produced via charge exchange reactions which will consist of Rydberg-excited positronium atoms sent to cooled antiprotons within an electromagnetic trap. The resulting Rydberg antihydrogen atoms will then be horizontally accelerated by an electric field gradient (Stark effect), they will then pass through a moiré deflectometer. The vertical deflection caused by the Earth's gravitational field will test for the first time the Weak Equivalence Principle for antimatter. Detection will be undertaken via a position sensitive detector. Around 103 antihydrogen atoms are needed for the gravitational measurement to be completed. The present status, current achievements and results will be presented, with special attention toward the laser excitation of positronium (Ps) to the n=3 state and the production of Ps atoms in the transmission geometry

Towards the first measurement of matter-antimatter gravitational interaction

The AEgIS (Antimatter Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy) is a CERN based experiment with the central aim to measure directly the gravitational acceleration of antihydrogen. Antihydrogen atoms will be produced via charge exchange reactions which will consist of Rydberg-excited positronium atoms sent to cooled antiprotons within an electromagnetic trap. The resulting Rydberg antihydrogen atoms will then be horizontally accelerated by an electric field gradient (Stark effect), they will then pass through a moiré deflectometer. The vertical deflection caused by the Earth's gravitational field will test for the first time the Weak Equivalence Principle for antimatter. Detection will be undertaken via a position sensitive detector. Around 103 antihydrogen atoms are needed for the gravitational measurement to be completed. The present status, current achievements and results will be presented, with special attention toward the laser excitation of positronium (Ps) to the n=3 state and the production of Ps atoms in the transmission geometry

Gravity and antimatter: The AEgIS experiment at CERN

From the experimental point of view, very little is known about the gravitational interaction between matter and antimatter. In particular, the Weak Equivalence Principle, which is of paramount importance for the General Relativity, has not yet been directly probed with antimatter. The main goal of the AEgIS experiment at CERN is to perform a direct measurement of the gravitational force on antimatter. The idea is to measure the vertical displacement of a beam of cold antihydrogen atoms, traveling in the gravitational field of the Earth, by the means of a moiré deflectometer. An overview of the physics goals of the experiment, of its apparatus and of the first results is presented

The AEgIS experiment: Towards antimatter gravity measurements

${\rm{AE}}\bar{{\rm{g}}}{\rm{IS}}$ (Antimatter Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy) is a CERN based experiment aiming to probe the Weak Equivalence Principle of General Relativity with antimatter by studying free fall of antihydrogen in the Earth's gravitational field. A pulsed cold beam of antihydrogen produced by charge exchange between Rydberg positronium and cold antiprotons will be horizontally accelerated by an electric field gradient. The free fall of antihydrogen will then be measured by a classical moire deflectometer. An overview of the experimental setup, present status of the experiment along with current achievements and results is presented

Antiproton tagging and vertex fitting in a Timepix3 detector

Studies of antimatter are important for understanding our universe at a fundamental level. There are still unsolved problems, such as the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. The AEgIS experiment at CERN aims at measuring the gravitational fall of antihydrogen in order to determine the gravitational force on antimatter. The proposed method will make use of a position-sensitive detector to measure the annihilation point of antihydrogen. Such a detector must be able to tag the antiproton, measure its time of arrival and reconstruct its annihilation point with high precision in the vertical direction. This work explores a new method for tagging antiprotons and reconstructing their annihilation point. Antiprotons from the Antiproton Decelerator at CERN were used to obtain data on direct annihilations on the surface of a silicon pixel sensor with Timepix3 readout. These data were used to develop and verify a detector response model for annihilation of antiprotons in this detector. Using this model and the antiproton data it is shown that a tagging efficiency of 50± 10% and a vertical position resolution of 22 ± 0.5 μm can be obtained

Antiproton tagging and vertex fitting in a Timepix3 detector

Studies of antimatter are important for understanding our universe at a fundamental level. There are still unsolved problems, such as the matter-antimatter asymmetry in the universe. The AEgIS experiment at CERN aims at measuring the gravitational fall of antihydrogen in order to determine the gravitational force on antimatter. The proposed method will make use of a position-sensitive detector to measure the annihilation point of antihydrogen. Such a detector must be able to tag the antiproton, measure its time of arrival and reconstruct its annihilation point with high precision in the vertical direction. This work explores a new method for tagging antiprotons and reconstructing their annihilation point. Antiprotons from the Antiproton Decelerator at CERN were used to obtain data on direct annihilations on the surface of a silicon pixel sensor with Timepix3 readout. These data were used to develop and verify a detector response model for annihilation of antiprotons in this detector. Using this model and the antiproton data it is shown that a tagging efficiency of 50± 10% and a vertical position resolution of 22 ± 0.5 μm can be obtained

Producing long-lived 2 3S positronium via 3 3P laser excitation in magnetic and electric fields

Producing positronium (Ps) in the metastable 2 3 S state is of interest for various applications in fundamental physics. We report here on an experiment in which Ps atoms are produced in this long-lived state by spontaneous radiative decay of Ps excited to the 3 3 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−1. The evidence of the 2 3 S state production is obtained to the 3.6σ level of statistical significance using a novel analysis technique of the single-shot positronium annihilation lifetime spectra. The dynamic of the Ps population on the involved levels has been studied with a rate equation model