Interference and Resonant Phenomena involving Antimatter

Much progress in the understanding of the interactions between matter and antimatter has been achieved through studies of controlled collisions of positrons (e+) and positronium (Ps, the short-lived atom made of an electron and a positron) with atoms and molecules. Our team is an international leader in this research and the sole provider of experimental Ps cross-sections at well-defined energies.

Studies have now progressed to an exciting new phase where we can search for and inspect subtle phenomena such as quantum interference and resonances. Two recent technical attainments are particularly pertinent to our future plans, namely the realization of a positronium beam tuneable down to energies five times lower than previously obtained, and the development of a new high-resolution positron-beamline apt for inspecting collision dynamics. We plan to exploit these technical advances to probe resonances and interference phenomena occurring in positron and positronium scattering. The overarching aim of the investigations is to aid progress towards a more profound understanding of matter-antimatter interactions in general.

If interested, please contact Professor Gaetana Laricchia (g.laricchia@ucl.ac.uk) for further details.