Example of an Antiproton-Nucleon Annihilation

Abstract

The existence of antiprotons has recently been demonstrated at the Berkeley Bevatron by a counter experiment. The antiprotons were found among the momentum-analyzed (1190 Mev/c) negative particles emitted by a copper target bombarded by 6.2-Bev protons. Concurrently with the counter experiment, stacks of nuclear emulsions were exposed in the beam adjusted to 1090 Mev/c negative particles in an experiment designed to observe the properties of antiprotons when coming to rest. This required a 132 g/cm2 copper absorber to slow down the antiprotons sufficiently to stop them in the emulsion stack. Only one antiproton was found in stacks in which seven were expected, assuming a geometric interaction cross section for antiprotons in copper. It has now been found that the cross section in copper is about twice geometric, which explains this low yield.