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Published on: February 14, 2014
Laser Spectroscopy Measurements of Metastable Pionic Helium Atoms at Paul Scherrer Institute
M Hori1, H Aghai-Khozani1,2, A Sótér3
1Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, D-85748 Garching, Germany.
Researchers precisely measured pionic helium atoms using laser spectroscopy. This experiment could determine the charged pion mass and complements antiprotonic helium atom studies.
Area of Science:
- Atomic physics
- Particle physics
Background:
- Pionic helium atoms are exotic three-body systems.
- Precise measurements of fundamental particle properties are crucial for testing the Standard Model.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review experiments observing infrared transitions in pionic helium atoms.
- To discuss the potential for precise determination of the charged pion mass.
Main Methods:
- Laser spectroscopy was used to observe transitions in pionic helium.
- Experiments were conducted by the PiHe collaboration at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI).
Main Results:
- An infrared transition in three-body pionic helium atoms was successfully observed.
- The measurements offer a pathway to a precise determination of the charged pion mass.
Conclusions:
- The observed transitions provide a new method for measuring the charged pion mass.
- These findings complement ongoing research on antiprotonic helium atoms at CERN's ELENA facility.
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