Description and first application of a new technique to measure the gravitational mass of antihydrogen

C. Amole; M. D. Ashkezari; M. Baquero-Ruiz; W. Bertsche; E. Butler; A. Capra; C. L. Cesar; M. Charlton; S. Eriksson; J. Fajans; T. Friesen; M. C. Fujiwara; D. R. Gill; A. Gutierrez; J. S. Hangst; W. N. Hardy; M. E. Hayden; C. A. Isaac; S. Jonsell; L. Kurchaninov; A. Little; N. Madsen; J. T.K. McKenna; S. Menary; S. C. Napoli; P. Nolan; A. Olin; P. Pusa; C. Rasmussen; F. Robicheaux; E. Sarid; D. M. Silveira; C. So; R. I. Thompson; D. P. Van Der Werf; J. S. Wurtele; A. I. Zhmoginov; A. E. Charman

doi:10.1038/ncomms2787

Description and first application of a new technique to measure the gravitational mass of antihydrogen

C. Amole, M. D. Ashkezari, M. Baquero-Ruiz, W. Bertsche, E. Butler, A. Capra, C. L. Cesar, M. Charlton, S. Eriksson, J. Fajans, T. Friesen, M. C. Fujiwara, D. R. Gill, A. Gutierrez, J. S. Hangst, W. N. Hardy, M. E. Hayden, C. A. Isaac, S. Jonsell, L. KurchaninovA. Little, N. Madsen, J. T.K. McKenna, S. Menary, S. C. Napoli, P. Nolan, A. Olin, P. Pusa, C. Rasmussen, F. Robicheaux, E. Sarid, D. M. Silveira, C. So, R. I. Thompson, D. P. Van Der Werf, J. S. Wurtele, A. I. Zhmoginov, A. E. Charman

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

147 Scopus citations

Abstract

Physicists have long wondered whether the gravitational interactions between matter and antimatter might be different from those between matter and itself. Although there are many indirect indications that no such differences exist and that the weak equivalence principle holds, there have been no direct, free-fall style, experimental tests of gravity on antimatter. Here we describe a novel direct test methodology; we search for a propensity for antihydrogen atoms to fall downward when released from the ALPHA antihydrogen trap. In the absence of systematic errors, we can reject ratios of the gravitational to inertial mass of antihydrogen >75 at a statistical significance level of 5%; worst-case systematic errors increase the minimum rejection ratio to 110. A similar search places somewhat tighter bounds on a negative gravitational mass, that is, on antigravity. This methodology, coupled with ongoing experimental improvements, should allow us to bound the ratio within the more interesting near equivalence regime.

Original language	English
Article number	1785
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2787
State	Published - 20 May 2013
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Chemistry (all)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (all)
Physics and Astronomy (all)

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10.1038/ncomms2787

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Amole, C., Ashkezari, M. D., Baquero-Ruiz, M., Bertsche, W., Butler, E., Capra, A., Cesar, C. L., Charlton, M., Eriksson, S., Fajans, J., Friesen, T., Fujiwara, M. C., Gill, D. R., Gutierrez, A., Hangst, J. S., Hardy, W. N., Hayden, M. E., Isaac, C. A., Jonsell, S., ... Charman, A. E. (2013). Description and first application of a new technique to measure the gravitational mass of antihydrogen. Nature Communications, 4, [1785]. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2787

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title = "Description and first application of a new technique to measure the gravitational mass of antihydrogen",

abstract = "Physicists have long wondered whether the gravitational interactions between matter and antimatter might be different from those between matter and itself. Although there are many indirect indications that no such differences exist and that the weak equivalence principle holds, there have been no direct, free-fall style, experimental tests of gravity on antimatter. Here we describe a novel direct test methodology; we search for a propensity for antihydrogen atoms to fall downward when released from the ALPHA antihydrogen trap. In the absence of systematic errors, we can reject ratios of the gravitational to inertial mass of antihydrogen >75 at a statistical significance level of 5%; worst-case systematic errors increase the minimum rejection ratio to 110. A similar search places somewhat tighter bounds on a negative gravitational mass, that is, on antigravity. This methodology, coupled with ongoing experimental improvements, should allow us to bound the ratio within the more interesting near equivalence regime.",

author = "C. Amole and Ashkezari, {M. D.} and M. Baquero-Ruiz and W. Bertsche and E. Butler and A. Capra and Cesar, {C. L.} and M. Charlton and S. Eriksson and J. Fajans and T. Friesen and Fujiwara, {M. C.} and Gill, {D. R.} and A. Gutierrez and Hangst, {J. S.} and Hardy, {W. N.} and Hayden, {M. E.} and Isaac, {C. A.} and S. Jonsell and L. Kurchaninov and A. Little and N. Madsen and McKenna, {J. T.K.} and S. Menary and Napoli, {S. C.} and P. Nolan and A. Olin and P. Pusa and C. Rasmussen and F. Robicheaux and E. Sarid and Silveira, {D. M.} and C. So and Thompson, {R. I.} and {Van Der Werf}, {D. P.} and Wurtele, {J. S.} and Zhmoginov, {A. I.} and Charman, {A. E.}",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by: CNPq, FINEP/RENAFAE (Brazil); ISF (Israel); FNU (Denmark); VR (Sweden); NSERC, NRC/TRIUMF, AITF, FQRNT (Canada); DOE, NSF, LBNL-LDRD (USA); and EPSRC, the Royal Society and the Leverhulme Trust (UK).",

year = "2013",

month = may,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1038/ncomms2787",

language = "English",

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journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

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Amole, C, Ashkezari, MD, Baquero-Ruiz, M, Bertsche, W, Butler, E, Capra, A, Cesar, CL, Charlton, M, Eriksson, S, Fajans, J, Friesen, T, Fujiwara, MC, Gill, DR, Gutierrez, A, Hangst, JS, Hardy, WN, Hayden, ME, Isaac, CA, Jonsell, S, Kurchaninov, L, Little, A, Madsen, N, McKenna, JTK, Menary, S, Napoli, SC, Nolan, P, Olin, A, Pusa, P, Rasmussen, C, Robicheaux, F, Sarid, E, Silveira, DM, So, C, Thompson, RI, Van Der Werf, DP, Wurtele, JS, Zhmoginov, AI & Charman, AE 2013, 'Description and first application of a new technique to measure the gravitational mass of antihydrogen', Nature Communications, vol. 4, 1785. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2787

TY - JOUR

T1 - Description and first application of a new technique to measure the gravitational mass of antihydrogen

AU - Amole, C.

AU - Ashkezari, M. D.

AU - Baquero-Ruiz, M.

AU - Bertsche, W.

AU - Butler, E.

AU - Capra, A.

AU - Cesar, C. L.

AU - Charlton, M.

AU - Eriksson, S.

AU - Fajans, J.

AU - Friesen, T.

AU - Fujiwara, M. C.

AU - Gill, D. R.

AU - Gutierrez, A.

AU - Hangst, J. S.

AU - Hardy, W. N.

AU - Hayden, M. E.

AU - Isaac, C. A.

AU - Jonsell, S.

AU - Kurchaninov, L.

AU - Little, A.

AU - Madsen, N.

AU - McKenna, J. T.K.

AU - Menary, S.

AU - Napoli, S. C.

AU - Nolan, P.

AU - Olin, A.

AU - Pusa, P.

AU - Rasmussen, C.

AU - Robicheaux, F.

AU - Sarid, E.

AU - Silveira, D. M.

AU - So, C.

AU - Thompson, R. I.

AU - Van Der Werf, D. P.

AU - Wurtele, J. S.

AU - Zhmoginov, A. I.

AU - Charman, A. E.

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by: CNPq, FINEP/RENAFAE (Brazil); ISF (Israel); FNU (Denmark); VR (Sweden); NSERC, NRC/TRIUMF, AITF, FQRNT (Canada); DOE, NSF, LBNL-LDRD (USA); and EPSRC, the Royal Society and the Leverhulme Trust (UK).

PY - 2013/5/20

Y1 - 2013/5/20

N2 - Physicists have long wondered whether the gravitational interactions between matter and antimatter might be different from those between matter and itself. Although there are many indirect indications that no such differences exist and that the weak equivalence principle holds, there have been no direct, free-fall style, experimental tests of gravity on antimatter. Here we describe a novel direct test methodology; we search for a propensity for antihydrogen atoms to fall downward when released from the ALPHA antihydrogen trap. In the absence of systematic errors, we can reject ratios of the gravitational to inertial mass of antihydrogen >75 at a statistical significance level of 5%; worst-case systematic errors increase the minimum rejection ratio to 110. A similar search places somewhat tighter bounds on a negative gravitational mass, that is, on antigravity. This methodology, coupled with ongoing experimental improvements, should allow us to bound the ratio within the more interesting near equivalence regime.

AB - Physicists have long wondered whether the gravitational interactions between matter and antimatter might be different from those between matter and itself. Although there are many indirect indications that no such differences exist and that the weak equivalence principle holds, there have been no direct, free-fall style, experimental tests of gravity on antimatter. Here we describe a novel direct test methodology; we search for a propensity for antihydrogen atoms to fall downward when released from the ALPHA antihydrogen trap. In the absence of systematic errors, we can reject ratios of the gravitational to inertial mass of antihydrogen >75 at a statistical significance level of 5%; worst-case systematic errors increase the minimum rejection ratio to 110. A similar search places somewhat tighter bounds on a negative gravitational mass, that is, on antigravity. This methodology, coupled with ongoing experimental improvements, should allow us to bound the ratio within the more interesting near equivalence regime.

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DO - 10.1038/ncomms2787

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SN - 2041-1723

VL - 4

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 1785

ER -

Description and first application of a new technique to measure the gravitational mass of antihydrogen

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