Positronium in physics and medicine

15.05.2019 11:15 – 12:15

Positronium, the lightest purely leptonic object decaying into photons, is known as an excellent laboratory for fundamental physics studies. It can also be useful for medical diagnostics since during the routine positron emission tomography about 40% of positrons annihilation occurs through the creation of positronium atoms which properties change and vary depending on the size of the intermolecular voids and concentrations of bio-active molecules.

The newly constructed Jagiellonian Positron Emission Tomograph (J-PET) is the first PET scanner built from plastic scintillators. It is a world unique apparatus enabling measurement and imaging of positronium properties and studies of the quantum entanglement of photons originating from positronium annihilations.

In the talk we will discuss the recently proposed method of positronium imaging of the human body and possibilities to use properties of positronium atoms such as (environment modified) lifetime or entanglement of photons produced in positronium annihilation as diagnostic biomarkers for cancer therapy.

We will also present the capability of the J-PET detector to improve the current precision of testing CP, T and CPT symmetries in the decays of positronium atoms and report on results from the first data-taking campaigns.

Lieu

Bâtiment: Ecole de Physique

Quai Ernest-Ansermet 24
1211 Genève 4
Grand Auditoire A

entrée libre