On the interpretation of positron-annihilation data in powders and fine-grained materials

Monte-Carlo simulations of positron diffusion are carried out for powders consisting of spherical and ellipsoidal particles with and without defects. Following Bergersen et al. [1], elastic positron-phonon interaction is considered to be dominant for scattering processes in positron diffusion. The central question is which fraction of the positrons would be able to reach the particle boundaries. Hence, we calculate the Fraction of Positrons reaching particle Surface (FPS). The presence of defects in the particles can drastically reduce FPS depending on the defect concentration and capture rate. We demonstrate that for small-grained materials the grain surface can influence the lifetime signal significantly.Paper presented at the 132nd WE-Heraeus-Seminar on Positron Studies of Semiconductor Defects, Halle, Germany, 29 August to 2 September 1994