Fundamental tests of antimatter gravitation with antihydrogen accelerators

物理学中一个突出的重大挑战是理解物质和反物质之间的根本差异，这些差异使我们拥有一个主要由物质组成的宇宙。欧洲核子研究中心的ALPHA（反氢激光物理装置）实验试图通过对捕获的反氢原子进行精确的原子物理测量来解决这个问题，以便确定与氢的等效测量的微小差异。该合作正在建造下一代反氢陷阱ALPHA-g，旨在测量反物质引力。本课题旨在设计并进行反氢原子的重力自由落体测量，以直接测量反物质的重力加速度，作为弱等效原理的检验。这是一个跨学科的实验项目，其基础跨越等离子体，原子和粒子物理。这是曼彻斯特大学的一个学生项目，其中大部分人将在瑞士日内瓦的欧洲核子研究中心工作。学生将设计和分析用于测量地球上反物质重力加速度的ALPHA-g的实验方案和诊断技术。更具体地说，在学生开始时进行的初始测量将需要在整个课程中通过对ALPHA-g设备的仔细分析和开发以及相关的调试和测试来获得更高的精度：特别是，重点围绕磁铁电流控制，捕获系统，冷却管理和各自的改进。这个项目的成功实现将需要实验的努力，以及在实验中测量和控制探针和背景磁场的诊断工具的发展。粒子和场的行为将使用GPT、Opera、ANSYS和COMSOL等软件进行建模。学生也将被期望参与ALPHA的一般实验项目与捕获反氢原子，同时掌握整个实验的操作。参与将接近学生超高真空系统，光束和等离子体操作技术，诊断方法，光谱学和激光技术，以及他们的数据分析和工具。最终，学生将对ALPHA机器的完整运行周期的结果做出贡献

One of the outstanding grand challenges in physics is to understand the fundamental differences between matter and antimatter that have left us with a universe that is largely composed of matter. The ALPHA (Antihydrogen Laser Physics Apparatus) experiment at CERN seeks to address this question by performing precise atomic physics measurements on trapped antihydrogen atoms in order to identify minute differences with equivalent measurements in hydrogen. The collaboration is building ALPHA-g, the next generation of antihydrogen traps intended to measure antimatter gravitation.The studentship aims to design and perform gravitational free-fall measurements on antihydrogen atoms in order to directly measure antimatter gravitational acceleration as a test of the weak equivalence principle. This is an interdisciplinary experimental project with underpinnings spanning plasma, atomic and particle physics. It is a studentship with the University of Manchester where the majority would be based at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. The student will design and analyse experimental protocol and diagnostic technique for use in ALPHA-g intended to measure the gravitational acceleration g of antimatter on Earth. More specifically, the initial measurements conducted at the beginning of the studentship will need to gain higher precision throughout the course with a careful analysis and development of the ALPHA-g apparatus with associated commissioning and testing: in particular, the focus revolves around the magnet current control, trapping systems, cooling management and respective improvements.The successful realisation of this project will require both experimental efforts as well as development of diagnostic tools for measuring and controlling the probe and background magnetic fields in the experiment. Particle and field behaviour will be modelled using software such as GPT, Opera, ANSYS and COMSOL.The student will also be expected to participate in ALPHA's general experimental programme with trapped antihydrogen atoms while mastering the operation of the full experiment. The involvement will approach the student to ultra-high vacuum systems, beam and plasma manipulation techniques, diagnostic approaches, spectroscopy and laser techniques as well as their data analysis and tools. Ultimately, the student will contribute in the results of the full operation cycle of the ALPHA machine