Stability of hydrogen-antihydrogen mixtures at low energies

Abstract

The stability of antimatter in contact with matter has been investigated. The interaction between hydrogen and antihydrogen is considered as the prototype reaction. We have focused interest on the rates for proton-antiproton and/or electron-positron annihilation during hydrogen-antihydrogen collisions at low energies. In particular, we have concentrated on the calculation of the rates for the rearrangement reaction leading to formation of protonium and positronium, ending inevitably in particle-antiparticle annihilation. The cross section for the rearrangement collision has been calculated in a fully quantum-mechanical treatment. Additionally, we have calculated cross sections for direct annihilation during the collision process, which was found to be comparable to the rearrangement cross section. The elastic cross section and its low-energy limit, given by the scattering length, have been calculated, allowing, by comparison to the inelastic processes, a prediction for the efficiency of cooling antihydrogen via collisions with ultracold hydrogen atoms.