Positronium

• In a significant breakthrough, scientists at CERN have achieved laser cooling of Positronium for the first time, during Anti-hydrogen Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, Spectroscopy (AEgIS).
• AEgIS Experiment : Antihydrogen Experiment: Gravity, Interferometry, and Spectroscopy, aims to directly measure Earth’s gravitational acceleration on antihydrogen.

What is Positronium?

• Positronium is a unique atomic system consisting of an electron and a positron, the antimatter counterpart of an electron. 
• It has a very short lifespan, typically around 142 nanoseconds, before it annihilates. 
• Positronium holds the distinction of being a pure leptonic atom, with its mass being twice that of an electron.
• Due to its properties, Positronium is a valuable system for studying fundamental physics theories and conducting experiments in areas such as quantum electrodynamics.
• Laser cooling of Positronium was accomplished by lowering its temperature from ~380 Kelvin to ~170 Kelvin using a 70-nanosecond pulse of the alexandrite-based laser system, operating in either the deep ultraviolet or infrared frequency bands.

Significance of Laser Cooling of Positronium

• Measurement of Earth’s gravitational acceleration
• Gamma-ray laser: Potential to produce a gamma-ray laser for atomic nucleus exploration and applications beyond physics.
• Quantum Electrodynamics (QED): Facilitating spectroscopic comparisons for QED, studying light’s interaction with charged matter. Bose–Einstein condensate: Enabling the production of a positronium Bose–Einstein condensate, offering a tool for both fundamental and applied research where all constituents occupy the same quantum state.

Practice Questions for Prelims

Consider the following statements regarding Positronium :
1. It is a particle that consists of an electron and Positron.
2.It has a very long lifespan.
3. It is a pure leptonic atom.

Select the correct option from below :
1. Only one statement is correct
2. Only two statements are correct
3. All three statements are correct
4. None of the above statement is correct

Ans. B

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