Grant: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Project
TRIUMF
$500,000.00
Fundamental Symmetry Tests with Trapped Antihydrogen: ALPHA Project at CERN/AD
EF 2016-17
Résumé
ALPHA is an experiment based at CERN. The ALPHA collaboration involves scientists from 15 institutions in 8 countries. Over one-third of these scientists come from Canadian research laboratories and universities. The Canadian team has held major project funding from NSERC since its inception in 2005, and has made significant contributions to numerous ALPHA achievements.
The goal of the ALPHA project is to measure and compare certain properties of 'antihydrogen' - the simplest atomic form of neutral antimatter - with those of ordinary hydrogen. In doing so, the collaboration will directly test and challenge fundamental theories about similarities and differences ('symmetries') between matter and
antimatter, an issue that is arguably one of the greatest unsolved problems in physics. In recent years, ALPHA has achieved many significant and high profile milestones in its pursuit of its primary goal, including: novel application of cryogenic cooling techniques (2010), stable (2010) and long term (2011) trapping of neutral antimatter, and proof of principle microwave studies of trapped antihydrogen (2012).
ALPHA is currently undergoing a major upgrade, to which the Canadian group has made significant contributions with support from NSERC. The new apparatus (ALPHA-2) will allow optical access to trapped antihydrogen for precision laser spectroscopy, as well as improved microwave spectroscopy. ALPHA-Canada's contributions to ALPHA-2 include: design and fabrication of the new anti-atom trap cryostat, upgrades to the detector readout system and data acquisition, new (and improved) trap electronics, as well as laser and microwave systems.
In this proposal, we request funding to support an exciting and highly-visible three year program of research. It will result in the first-ever laser cooling of atomic antihydrogen, an improved measurement of the antihydrogen hyperfine splitting at a precision that is of fundamental physics interest, and a first demonstration of 1s-2s spectroscopy in antihydrogen.
Programme
Subatomic Physics Envelope - Project
Bénéficiaire
Emplacement
British Columbia, Canada
Type de bénéficiaire
Not-for-profit organization or charity
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
Tel que publié
Application id
SAPPJ-2014-00026
Name nom
Fujiwara, Makoto
Department département
Science Division
Organization id
8
Institution établissement
TRIUMF
Province en
British Columbia
Province fr
Colombie-Britannique
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2016
Competition year année de concours
2014
Award amount
500000
Program id
SAPPJ
Program name en
Subatomic Physics Envelope - Project
Program name fr
Enveloppe de physique subatomique - De projet
Group en
Discovery grants programs
Group fr
Programmes de subventions à la découverte
Committee code
19
Committee name en
Subatomic Physics
Committee name fr
Physique subatomique
Area of application code
1200
Area of application group en
Advancement of knowledge
Area of application group fr
Avancement des connaissances
Area of application en
Advancement of knowledge
Area of application fr
Avancement des connaissances
Research subject code
3102
Research subject group en
Physics
Research subject group fr
Physique
Research subject en
Nuclear physics
Research subject fr
Physique nucléaire
Partie
3
Nb partie
3
Application title
Fundamental Symmetry Tests with Trapped Antihydrogen: ALPHA Project at CERN/AD
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
ALPHA is an experiment based at CERN. The ALPHA collaboration involves scientists from 15 institutions in 8 countries. Over one-third of these scientists come from Canadian research laboratories and universities. The Canadian team has held major project funding from NSERC since its inception in 2005, and has made significant contributions to numerous ALPHA achievements.
The goal of the ALPHA project is to measure and compare certain properties of 'antihydrogen' - the simplest atomic form of neutral antimatter - with those of ordinary hydrogen. In doing so, the collaboration will directly test and challenge fundamental theories about similarities and differences ('symmetries') between matter and
antimatter, an issue that is arguably one of the greatest unsolved problems in physics. In recent years, ALPHA has achieved many significant and high profile milestones in its pursuit of its primary goal, including: novel application of cryogenic cooling techniques (2010), stable (2010) and long term (2011) trapping of neutral antimatter, and proof of principle microwave studies of trapped antihydrogen (2012).
ALPHA is currently undergoing a major upgrade, to which the Canadian group has made significant contributions with support from NSERC. The new apparatus (ALPHA-2) will allow optical access to trapped antihydrogen for precision laser spectroscopy, as well as improved microwave spectroscopy. ALPHA-Canada's contributions to ALPHA-2 include: design and fabrication of the new anti-atom trap cryostat, upgrades to the detector readout system and data acquisition, new (and improved) trap electronics, as well as laser and microwave systems.
In this proposal, we request funding to support an exciting and highly-visible three year program of research. It will result in the first-ever laser cooling of atomic antihydrogen, an improved measurement of the antihydrogen hyperfine splitting at a precision that is of fundamental physics interest, and a first demonstration of 1s-2s spectroscopy in antihydrogen.
