Compression of positron clouds using rotating wall electric fields

摘要

An asymmetric dipolar rotating electric field can be used to compress a trapped cloud of positrons when applied with a frequency close that of their axial bounce, and in the presence of a low pressure molecular gas to provide cooling. Measurements of the compression rate and associated parameters are presented and compared with results of a theory we have developed. The latter treats positron behaviour in a perfect Penning trap potential, in the presence of the rotating field, with the cooling modelled in the Stokes viscous drag approximation. Good agreement between the theory and experiment has been found, which has allowed us to identify the phenomenon as a new form of sideband cooling.