A new path toward gravity experiments with anti-hydrogen

Abstract

We propose to use a 13 KeV antiproton beam passing through a dense cloud of positronium (Ps) atoms to produce an H+ beam. These ions can be slowed down and captured by a trap. The process involves two reactions with large cross sections under the same experimental conditions. These reactions are the interaction of p with PS to produce H and the e+ capture by H reacting on PS to produce H+. Once decelerated with an electrostatic field and captured in a trap the H+ ions could be cooled and the e+ removed with a laser to perform a measurement of the gravitational acceleration of neutral antimatter in the gravity field of the Earth.