Speaker
Ruggero Caravita
(INFN Genova)
Description
Efficient Rydberg positronium production in high magnetic field (1T) is one of the key objectives of the AEGIS experiment at CERN (AD-6), aimed at the first direct measurement of Earth gravitational constant on a neutral antimatter system. AEGIS experimental scheme uses a charge exchange reaction between Rydberg Ps and trapped cold antiprotons to produce cold antihydrogen, subsequently accelerated via electric fields to form a free-falling beam towards a Moirè deflectometer. Thermalized positronium is first generated in a high magnetic field environment in a nanoporous silica target and later laser-excited to Rydberg levels with a two step scheme: first, from the ground state to the third excited state and subsequently to a selectable Rydberg level within the range n=16-23. In this talk, we will present the topic of exciting positronium in AEGIS conditions together with
the results obtained from the current laser setup in view of the upcoming measurements
