Adaptable platform for trapped cold electrons, hydrogen and lithium anions and cations
Abstract Cold cations, electrons and anions are ubiquitous in space, participate in star formation chemistry and are relevant to studies on the origin of molecular biology homochirality. We report on a system to generate and trap these species in the laboratory. Laser ablation of a solid target (LiH...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01228-7 |
| _version_ | 1797818028526665728 |
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| author | L. O. A. Azevedo R. J. S. Costa W. Wolff A. N. Oliveira R. L. Sacramento D. M. Silveira C. L. Cesar |
| author_facet | L. O. A. Azevedo R. J. S. Costa W. Wolff A. N. Oliveira R. L. Sacramento D. M. Silveira C. L. Cesar |
| author_sort | L. O. A. Azevedo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Cold cations, electrons and anions are ubiquitous in space, participate in star formation chemistry and are relevant to studies on the origin of molecular biology homochirality. We report on a system to generate and trap these species in the laboratory. Laser ablation of a solid target (LiH) facing a sublimating Ne matrix generates cold electrons, anions, and cations. Axial energy distributions (of $${{{{{{\rm{e}}}}}}}^{-}$$ e − , $${{{{{{\rm{H}}}}}}}^{\pm }$$ H ± and $${{{{{{\rm{Li}}}}}}}^{\pm }$$ Li ± ) peaked at 0–25 meV are obtained in a Penning trap at 90 mT and 0.5 eV barrier. Anions can be guided and neutralized with low recoil energy by near–threshold photodetachment. An immediate prospect for this $${{{{{{\rm{H}}}}}}}^{-}$$ H − source is to load hydrogen atoms into the ALPHA antihydrogen trap at CERN toward direct spectroscopic comparison of both conjugated species beyond 13 significant figures. The production is potentially scalable and adaptable to different species including deuterium and tritium, relevant for neutrino mass and fusion research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:02:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f6d2dc869f554a999a213d705dda1af3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-3650 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:02:12Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-f6d2dc869f554a999a213d705dda1af32023-05-28T11:18:52ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Physics2399-36502023-05-016111010.1038/s42005-023-01228-7Adaptable platform for trapped cold electrons, hydrogen and lithium anions and cationsL. O. A. Azevedo0R. J. S. Costa1W. Wolff2A. N. Oliveira3R. L. Sacramento4D. M. Silveira5C. L. Cesar6Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroInstituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroInstituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroINMETRO, Av. Nossa Senhora das Graças, 50Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroInstituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroInstituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroAbstract Cold cations, electrons and anions are ubiquitous in space, participate in star formation chemistry and are relevant to studies on the origin of molecular biology homochirality. We report on a system to generate and trap these species in the laboratory. Laser ablation of a solid target (LiH) facing a sublimating Ne matrix generates cold electrons, anions, and cations. Axial energy distributions (of $${{{{{{\rm{e}}}}}}}^{-}$$ e − , $${{{{{{\rm{H}}}}}}}^{\pm }$$ H ± and $${{{{{{\rm{Li}}}}}}}^{\pm }$$ Li ± ) peaked at 0–25 meV are obtained in a Penning trap at 90 mT and 0.5 eV barrier. Anions can be guided and neutralized with low recoil energy by near–threshold photodetachment. An immediate prospect for this $${{{{{{\rm{H}}}}}}}^{-}$$ H − source is to load hydrogen atoms into the ALPHA antihydrogen trap at CERN toward direct spectroscopic comparison of both conjugated species beyond 13 significant figures. The production is potentially scalable and adaptable to different species including deuterium and tritium, relevant for neutrino mass and fusion research.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01228-7 |
| spellingShingle | L. O. A. Azevedo R. J. S. Costa W. Wolff A. N. Oliveira R. L. Sacramento D. M. Silveira C. L. Cesar Adaptable platform for trapped cold electrons, hydrogen and lithium anions and cations Communications Physics |
| title | Adaptable platform for trapped cold electrons, hydrogen and lithium anions and cations |
| title_full | Adaptable platform for trapped cold electrons, hydrogen and lithium anions and cations |
| title_fullStr | Adaptable platform for trapped cold electrons, hydrogen and lithium anions and cations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adaptable platform for trapped cold electrons, hydrogen and lithium anions and cations |
| title_short | Adaptable platform for trapped cold electrons, hydrogen and lithium anions and cations |
| title_sort | adaptable platform for trapped cold electrons hydrogen and lithium anions and cations |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-023-01228-7 |
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