Interaction of water vapor with gamma-radiation-induced defects in proton conductive polymers

The correlation between protonic conduction and the amount of radiation-induced defects in gamma-ray-irradiated perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) polymers (Aciplex-SF-1004^®) has been investigated using a direct-current resistance method, transmission spectroscopy for the ultraviolet (UV) and visible (Vis) wavelength ranges and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with the attenuated total refraction (ATR) technique. The proton conductivity of the polymers, which are irradiated with a dose of up to 532 kGy under vacuum at room temperature and subsequently exposure to air, is enhanced by approximately three orders of magnitude as compared to that of the unirradiated polymer. The UV–Vis spectra of the irradiated polymers reveal the presence of fluorocarbon radicals, which increase with the irradiation dose. It is also observed in the UV–Vis and FTIR spectra that peroxy free radicals, unsaturated species (COF), and a carboxyl group (COOH) containing a carbon-oxygen double bond are formed by reactions of the fluorocarbon radicals with oxygen or water vapor in air. In addition, an increase in the hydrogen concentration is observed in the near-surface regions of the irradiated polymers by using an elastic recoil detection (ERD) technique. The production of charge carriers such as protons and oxonium ions (H₃O⁺) by the interaction of water vapor with the activating-radiation-induced defects leads to the enhancement of the proton conductivity.     

The ASACUSA CUSP: an antihydrogen experiment

In order to test CPT symmetry between antihydrogen and its counterpart hydrogen, the ASACUSA collaboration plans to perform high precision microwave spectroscopy of ground-state hyperfine splitting of antihydrogen atom in-flight. We have developed an apparatus (“cusp trap”) which consists of a superconducting anti-Helmholtz coil and multiple ring electrodes. For the preparation of slow antiprotons and positrons, Penning-Malmberg type traps were utilized. The spectrometer line was positioned downstream of the cusp trap. At the end of the beamline, an antihydrogen beam detector was located, which comprises an inorganic Bismuth Germanium Oxide (BGO) single-crystal scintillator housed in a vacuum duct and surrounding plastic scintillators. A significant fraction of antihydrogen atoms flowing out the cusp trap were detected.