Journal of Physics B Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics
Three-body recombination with mixed sign light particles
F. Robicheaux
Abstract
Using a classical trajectory Monte Carlo method, we have computed the three-body recombination (two free positrons and an anti-proton scattering into one free positron and an anti-hydrogen atom: e+ + e+ + p ̄ → ¯H + e+) in the presence of electrons. By simply reversing the sign of all of the particles, these results can be applied to three-body recombination of matter in the presence of positrons. An important parameter is the fraction of light particles which are of the opposite sign; we performed calculations for several values of this parameter and find a substantial effect even for small fractions. We have also included a strong magnetic field in the calculation since this seems the most likely way to have mixed sign light particles in the same region of space. Our results will be useful for future anti-hydrogen experiments. We identify the main mechanisms controlling the recombination process. 1.