Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

On The Production Of The Positive Antihydrogen Ion H̄+ Via Radiative Attachment, Chris M. Keating, M. Charlton, Jack C. Straton

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We provide an estimate of the cross section for the radiative attachment of a second positron into the state of the ion using Ohmura and Ohmura's (1960 Phys. Rev. 118 154) effective range theory and the principle of detailed balance. The ion can potentially be created using interactions of positrons with trapped antihydrogen, and our analysis includes a discussion in which estimates of production rates are given. Motivations to produce include its potential use as an intermediary to cool antihydrogen to ultra-cold (sub-mK) temperatures for a variety of studies, including spectroscopy and probing the gravitational interaction of the anti-atom.