Four-body treatment of the K-shell positronium formation from multi-electron atoms

The four-body Coulomb-Born distorted-wave approximation with correct boundary conditions (CBDW-4B) is applied to the K-shell positronium formation from multi-electron atoms at intermediate and high impact energies. In the present approach, both K-shell electrons are treated as active electrons. For collisions of positrons with helium, carbon, and neon atoms, both the post and prior forms of the transition amplitude are calculated and the corresponding differential and integral cross sections are compared with the results of the three-body version of the formalism (CBDW-3B). In order to investigate the effects of the static electronic correlations on the process, initial bound states of the active electrons in helium atoms are described by Hylleraas and Silverman wave functions. Also for positronium formation from helium atoms the obtained cross sections are compared with the available experimental data and also with the results of the other theories.     

Kaonic helium atoms

Recent progress on the x-ray spectroscopy of kaonic helium atoms as well as on the precision laser spectroscopy of antiprotonic helium atoms are presented. Some historical background connecting these two exotic helium atoms is also discussed.     

Cold antihydrogen atoms

Cold antihydrogen atoms have been produced recently by mixing trapped antiprotons with cold positrons. The efficiency is remarkable: more than 10% of the antiprotons form antihydrogen. Future spectroscopy of antihydrogen has the potential to provide new extremely precise tests of the fundamental symmetry between matter and antimatter. In addition, cold antihydrogen atoms might permit the first direct experiments investigating antimatter gravity. A novel method to measure the gravitational acceleration of antimatter using ultra-cold antihydrogen atoms is proposed. PACS 04.80.Cc; 32.80.Pj; 36.10.-k     

Mechanodynamic diffusion of helium atoms into porous copper

Mechanodynamic penetration of helium atoms into porous copper compressively strained at 4.2 K is studied. Porous copper is obtained by vaporizing zinc out of brass in vacuum at a temperature of 800°C for 8 h. The number of helium atoms which penetrated into the sample increased monotonically with strain to reach 2.9 × 10¹⁶ atoms/cm² at ? = 42%. This amount of helium is two and even more orders of magnitude larger than that obtained from the data available thus far on mechanodynamic penetration of atoms of an external medium into crystalline and amorphous materials under strain. The relations obtained suggest that specific types of helium traps determine the kinetics of mechanodynamic diffusion of helium into solids.     

The role of collision cascades and helium atoms in cavity nucleation

Abstract

The simultaneous production of helium atoms and collision cascades during irradiation may enhance the nucleation of cavities. The influence of parameters such as helium generation rate and recoil energy on the possibility of cavity nucleation is investigated. The three most likely mechanisms by which cascade nucleation might occur are considered. Firstly, helium atoms that are present within the cascade may succeed in preventing the collapse of cascades into dislocation loops. Secondly, helium atoms in the cascades may be swept together during the cooling of the cascade to form cavity embryos. Thirdly, more distant helium atoms may be able to reach an uncollapsed vacancy aggregate in a cascade by diffusion before thermal annealing of the cascade.

Calculations indicate that it is unlikely that a sufficient number of helium atoms would be present in a cascade to prevent its collapse. The probability of several helium atoms being swept together within the volume of a cascade is also found to be rather small. Calculations suggest, however, that the cavity nucleation in cascades might become significant if helium atoms were to diffuse much faster than the substitutional diffusion rate during irradiation. The selfinterstitial replacement mechanism, for instance, would yield such a fast diffusion rate of helium.     

Effects of Ps polarization potentials on Ps total cross-sections of the collisions of positrons with alkali metal atoms and alkaline-earth positive ions

Summary The previous form of the coupled-static approximation applied to the inelastic scattering of positrons by alkali metal atoms is improved by switching on the polarization potentials of the positroniums. The effect of these potentials on the total elastic and positronium formation cross-sections of three different scattering problems (namely the collisions of positrons with lithium, sodium and potassium atoms) is discussed in details. Particularly, we devote our interest to the comparison between the resultant positronium formation cross-sections and those of the inelastic collisions of positrons with berylium, magnesium and calcium positive ions.     

Elastic scattering of slow positrons on atoms

The results of calculations of the elastic scattering cross section of positrons on noble gas and alkali atoms are presented. The calculations are performed within the one-electron Hartree-Fock approximation with multielectron correlations in the so-called random phase approximation with exchange taken into account. Virtual positronium formation is taken into account and proved to be very important. Arguments are presented that the positron polarization potential is repulsive for alkali atoms. The results obtained are in a reasonable agreement with experiment and with some previously reported calculations.     

Optical studies of atoms and ions in superfluid helium using a ccd-camera system

The spectroscopic study ions and atoms immersed into liquid helium can contribute to the understanding of the structure of pointlike defects in helium and their interaction with the superfluid phase as well. Ions and atoms serve as microprobes in the form of so calledbubble orsnowball type defects in the quantum fluid. The optical emission of these structures is recorded. From the optical spectra of previous experiments the influence of the surrounding helium on the electronic configuration of the impurity atoms or ions was examined. In this experiment the light emitted from the defect atoms is observed by a camera. The pictures obtained yield information about the distribution and the motion of the defect particles in the superfluid. As an example the fluorescence light resulting from the recombination of magnesium, barium and thallium ions with excess electrons in superfluid helium was recorded.     

Semiclassical calculation of ionisation rate for Rydberg helium atoms in an electric field

The ionisation of Rydberg helium atoms in an electric field above the classical ionisation threshold has been examined using the semiclassical method, with particular emphasis on discussing the influence of the core scattering on the escape dynamics of electrons. The results show that the Rydberg helium atoms ionise by emitting a train of electron pulses. Unlike the case of the ionisation of Rydberg hydrogen atom in parallel electric and magnetic fields, where the pulses of the electron are caused by the external magnetic field, the pulse trains for Rydberg helium atoms are created through core scattering. Each peak in the ionisation rate corresponds to the contribution of one core-scattered combination trajectory. This fact further illustrates that the ionic core scattering leads to the chaotic property of the Rydberg helium atom in external fields. Our studies provide a simple explanation for the escape dynamics in the ionisation of nonhydrogenic atoms in external fields.     

The potential above field adsorbed gas atoms

The potential for a helium atom above field adsorbed helium and neon atoms near a tungsten surface has been calculated. The resulting binding energies at a field of 4.5 V/Å are in the order of 0.03 eV. In addition, the resulting dwelling probabilities for 20 and 80 K are given.     

On a method of computation of scattering amplitudes and on ionization of hydrogen atoms

The general expressions for the scattering amplitudes due to Das have been rederived following a new approach. It is possible in this approach to improve the results considerably. Ionization of hydrogen atoms by electrons and positrons has also been considered.     

Investigation of the concentration gradient and extraction of helium atoms from copper deformed in a liquid-helium medium

A complex investigation of the penetration, accumulation, and extraction of helium atoms in porous copper samples deformed in a liquid-helium medium has been performed. The experiments have been carried out using three mass spectrometric techniques: (1) ionization of helium atoms by an electron impact in an MSCh-6 mass spectrometer, (2) secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and (3) an original high-resolution method with a sensitivity threshold of ∼10^{9 4}He atoms. The results obtained have made it possible to determine important characteristics of mechanodynamic diffusion of helium atoms, such as their penetration depth, the true concentration of helium trapped under deformation, and its gradient with an increase in the distance from the surface, as well as to estimate the binding energy of helium in traps.     

Implantation and spectroscopy of metal atoms in solid helium

The first implantation of neutral Ba and Cs atoms into solid⁴He is reported. We discuss details of the experimental setup and techniques used to load the helium with atoms at concentrations of 10⁸ cm^–3. If photodissociation of Cs molecules and clusters is performed twice per hour this atomic concentration can be kept without a second implantation for almost a day. From the optical spectra of Ba in solid helium we infer no significant difference in the trapping site with respect to that in liquid helium.     

Laser polarized muonic atoms

Lasers are an important tool in the field of muon physics. A new application of lasers, namely producing polarized muonic atoms, is the subject of a new program at LAMPF. One technique already demonstrated is stopping unpolarized muons in a laser polarized³He target. A more promising idea is to polarize neutral muonic helium by collisions with laser polrized Rb vapor. These methods for producing polarized muonic helium will be useful for measuring the spin dependence of nuclear muon capture and for determining the induced pseudoscalar coupling.     

Nanolithography with metastable helium atoms in a high-power standing-wave light field

We have created periodic nanoscale structures in a gold substrate with a lithography process using metastable triplet helium atoms that damage a hydrophobic resist layer on top of the substrate. A beam of metastable helium atoms is transversely collimated and guided through an intense standing-wave light field. Compared to commonly used low-power optical masks, a high-power light field (saturation parameter of 10⁷) increases the confinement of the atoms in the standing wave considerably, and makes the alignment of the experimental setup less critical. Due to the high internal energy of the metastable helium atoms (20 eV), a dose of only one atom per resist molecule is required. With an exposure time of only eight minutes, parallel lines with a separation of 542 nm and a width of 100 nm (one-eleventh of the wavelength used for the optical mask) are created.PACS 32.80.Lg; 39.25.+k; 81.16.Nd     

Effects of discharge current and voltage on the high density of metastable helium atoms

Both hollow-cathode and Penning-type discharges were adopted to excite helium atoms to a metastable state. Experimental data indicate that Penning discharge is more suitable for generating high fractions of metastables in a low-density helium beam for laser-induced fluorescence technique in measuring electric fields at the edge of a plasma. The metastable density increases with increasing helium gas pressure in the range of 1.33×10^{-2}－66.7Pa. The highest metastable density of 3.8×10^{16}m^{-3} is observed at a static gas pressure of 66.7Pa. An approximately linear relationship between the density of metastable helium atoms and the plasma discharge current is observed. Magnetic field plays a very important role in producing a high density of metastable atoms in Penning discharge.     

Fragmentation of positronium in collision with He atoms

The absolute cross section for the fragmentation of positronium in collision with He atoms has been measured. The results are compared with available theories. The longitudinal energy distributions of positrons resulting from fragmentation have also been determined and are found to display a peak situated just below half the residual energy. This is suggestive of the occurrence of "electron loss to the continuum" in which the two residual charged particles lie in a low relative-velocity Coulomb-continuum state.     

An investigation of high fractions of metastable helium atoms

Penning type discharge was adopted to excite helium atoms. It is suitable for generating high density metastables at a range from 0.1 mTorr to 0.5 Torr. The highest metastable density of 3.5 x 1010 cm-3 was observed at a static gas pressure of 0.5 Torr. The highest fraction of metastables (N12s/Nhe) of 10-3 in a low gas pressure was obtained. The variation of the magnetic field strength on the discharge does not result in a significant density change of the metastable helium atoms. When no magnetic field was applied, no discharge took place.     

Dispersion forces between closed shell atoms

Using Kirkwood's variation method, simple approximate formulae for the multipole dispersion forces between closed shell atoms are derived. These expressions are tested in the case of the interaction of two hydrogen atoms and are used to calculate the dipole-dipole, dipole-quadrupole, quadrupole-quadrupole and dipole-octupole dispersion forces between helium, neon and argon. The agreement with available accurate and semi-empirical calculation is encouraging.     

Low energy positron scattering from atoms in and on solids observed with low energy positron diffraction and reemission microscopy

The present status of low energy positron diffraction (LEPD) and positron reemission microscopy (PRM) is reviewed in the context of unanswered questions regarding the elastic scattering of positrons in the 1–300 eV energy range from atoms in solids and at solid surfaces. Recent LEPD studies yield an agreement between theoretical and experimental diffraction intensities for semiconductors that has never been equalled in electron diffraction studies. This situation is discussed in terms of the repulsive interaction between the positron and the embedded atomic potential and the lack of exchange with the nonspherically distributed valence electrons. The scattering of re-emitted positrons in PRM from atoms chemisorbed or physisorbed on the re-emitting surface has not yet received the same theoretical attention as scattering from embedded atoms in LEPD. Possible ways in which positron scattering from overlying atomic structures manifests itself in PRM as well as positron re-emission holography are discussed, both from the practical viewpoint of observing these structures and in the context of fundamental questions regarding the positron re-emission process itself.