There are currently proposals to test the weak equivalence principle for antimatter by studying the motion of antiprotons, negative hydrogen ions, positrons, and electrons under gravity. The motions of such charged particles are affected by residual gas, radiation, and electric and magnetic fields, as well as gravity. The electric fields are particularly sensitive to the state of the "shielding" container. This paper reviews, and extends where necessary, the physics of these extraneous influences on the motion of charged particles under gravity. The effects considered include residual gas scattering; wall potentials due to patches, stress, thermal gradients, and contamination states; and image-charge-induced dissipation.

The authors report measurements of surface patch potential profiles on polycrystalline Cu and Au surfaces in high vacuum after previous exposure to air. These results are relevant to experiments to measure the gravitational acceleration of charged particles inside vertical metallic drift tubes. Axial potential variations due to patch potentials on the drift tube surface limit the accuracy of these experiments. They discuss the problems due to non-uniform contamination by adsorbates, which generally produces patches over length scales larger than the crystallite size. Their observations show that, given sufficient time, patch potential variations are generally smoothed out, apparently due to preferential adsorption of background contaminants.

We examine the causes of spacing dependence of the nulling bias voltage in the vibrating capacitor contact potential measurement technique. In addition to effects already recognized in the literature, namely, nonuniform work functions, nonparallel surfaces, fringe fields, and capacitive coupling to distant surfaces, we investigate the effects of finite gain and spurious signals in feedback loop systems. We argue that much of the spacing dependence reported in the literature may be due to microphonic signals, which are very difficult to eliminate. We also discuss the means by which existing spacing dependence can be minimized.

The factors governing the choice of preamplifier type for the vibrating capacitive probe used in contact potential measurements are examined. Two types are compared: a high input impedance voltage amplifier and a current amplifier. The latter has been increasingly used in recent years due to its great. advantages in dealing with parasitic input capacitance. We extend previous analyses, elucidating other advantages of the current amplifier. Particularly important are (i) the reduction of spurious microphonic signals, implying lower systematic error, and (ii) the white noise spectrum of its equivalent contact potential noise, which allows random error to be effectively reduced by increased averaging periods, 3744 Rev.

The gravity-induced electric field outside a metal object supported against gravity is predominantly due to its differential compression which arises in supporting its own weight. This Dessler-Michel-Rorschach-Trammell (DMRT) field, as it has come to be known, is expected to be proportional to the strain derivative of the work function of the surface. We report the results of an experiment designed to produce this effect with mechanically applied strain rather than with gravity. In essence, we have measured the strain-induced contact-potential variation between a metal surface of known strain gradient and an unstrained capacitive probe. We describe useful solutions to the problems faced in such an experiment, which were not adequately addressed by earlier workers. A knowledge of the DMRT field is of considerable importance to experiments designed to compare the gravitational acceleration of charged particles and antiparticles inside a metallic shield. Past experiments with electrons yielded results contrary to the then-expected DMRT field. We review and partially extend the theoretical background by drawing on later results based on the jellium model of metal surfaces. Our results for Cu and Au surfaces are consistent with jellium-based calculations which imply a DMRT field that is about an order of magnitude smaller and of opposite sign to the early estimates.

We discuss the principles required to determine the electric field outside a metallic conductor created by strain gradients in the metal as might be engendered by the Earth's gravity. The experiment we describe measured the contact potential variation between a mechanically differentially strained metal surface and an unstrained capacitive sensing probe. The results are of considerable importance for the investigation of the free fall of charged particles inside vertical conducting drifft tubes. Our aim here is to elucidate the large sources of error associated with the application of strain. These include motions of the sample and temperature variations. The solutions we have developed may find application in similar experiments.