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- O. Delferriere, V. Blideanu, M. Carty, A. Curtoni, L. Liszkay, P. Perez, J. M. Rey, N. Ruiz, Y. Sauce
CEA, Gif-sur-Yvette
- F. Forest, J. L. Lancelot, D. Neuveglise
Sigmaphi, Vannes
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One of the fundamental questions of todays physics concerns the action of gravity upon antimatter. No experimental direct measurement has ever been successfully performed with antimatter particles. An R&D program has been launched at IRFU (CEA/Saclay) to demonstrate the feasibility of the production of antihydrogen (H) with the use of a target of positronium (Ps) atoms. This target, when bombarded with antiprotons, should allow combining its positrons with the incoming antiprotons and create H atoms and H+ ions. This experiment needs a large amount of Ps atoms, thus an intense source of positrons is necessary. We are building the SOPHI experiment in Saclay, based on a small 5 MeV electron linac to produce positrons via pair production on a tungsten target. This device should provide 108 slow e+/s, i.e. a factor 300 greater than the strongest activity Na22 based setups. The SOPHI system has been finalized in 2006 and the main components have been studied and built during 2007. The experiment is currently assembled and first results are expected in June 2008. The Linac, beam production and transport system will be presented, and first positron production rate measurements reported.
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