Positronium annihilation in silica aerogel studied by a positron age-momentum correlation technique

A high-performance positron age-momentum correlation (AMOC) spectrometer was newly developed.The counting rate is increased up to 200 cps much larger than the value 20 cps reported by other international groups.And at the same time,the time resolution still keeps at the international level of 220 ps.Furthermore,positronium (Ps) annihilation in silica aerogel was investigated by AMOC,which indicates:(1) Ps annihilation between the grains dominantly undergoes pick-off process and spin conversion from o-Ps to p-Ps;(2) Annealing below 400 ℃ changes the grain surface conditions,i.e.the desorption of hydrogen and the decrease of the defect centers concentration.     

Positronium Decay in a Circular Polarized Laser Field

We calculate the lifetime of both the o-Ps and the p-Ps positronium annihilation decay Ps→γγ in the strong circular polarized laser field. We take a strategy of the factorization to separate the effects caused by the Coulomb interaction and the strong laser field interaction. It is factorized in the time direction but not in the space direction. Our results show that in the laser with long wavelength and high intensity, the lifetimes of those Ps states are dramatically increased. For CO₂ laser with 10 μm wavelength and 10¹³ W/cm² intensity, lifetime of the spin-single positronium is increased by 10⁸ times. Our result is consistent with those obtained by solving the Schödinger equation. This effect may be useful for the high harmonic generation (HHG) effects provided with the Ps [Phys. Rev. Lett. 70 (1993) 774; Phys. Rev. Lett. 93 (2004) 013601].     

Positronium formed by recombination of positron-electron pairs in polymers

In nonpolar polymers, positronium (Ps) is dominantly formed by fast intraspur reactions of the energetic positron, but its formation is partially contributed by recombination of weakly bound Mott-Wannier-like positron-electron pairs and is susceptible to electric field and positron irradiation induced perturbations. The average initial energy of para-Ps (p-Ps) formed by recombination is found to be about half the energy of ordinary p-Ps dominantly formed by the fast intraspur reactions.     

Positron annihilation in synthetic zeolites

Both lifetime and angular correlation of positron annihilation have been measured for a series of synthetic zeolites for which the void structures are known fairly well. All of the zeolites had long lifetime components and a narrow momentum component which are ascribable to o-Ps and p-Ps annihilations in the voids, respectively. The correlation between the width of the p-Ps narrow component and the size of the largest voids showed a remarkable agreement with a theoretical estimate based on the spherical potential well model. The measurement of p-Ps momentum thus appears to be prospective as a tool to determine the size of voids of materials. The lifetime of the long lifetime component, on the other hand, showed a poor correlation with the void size even from a qualitative viewpoint, suggesting that factors other than the simple void size effect are dominant in determining the o-Ps lifetimes. Discussion is made on the cause of the different dependences of o-Ps and p-Ps annihilation parameters on the void size. It has also been found that p-Ps fraction is always larger than one third of the o-Ps fraction in all the zeolites studied. A discussion is presented on this point, too.Formerly, RIISOM     

The Analysis of 3γ/2γ in the Measurement of Positron Annihilation Doppler-broadening Spectroscopy

Doppler-broadening slow positron annihilation spectroscopy is used to measure the concentration, spatial distribution, and size of open-volume defects in surface and interface of material. In this method, the quantitative evaluation is generally carried out with the line shape parameter S and W, but sometimes the parameters provide some finite information. For example, if positron and electron form positronium (include o-Ps and p-Ps) in material, the parameters S and W may provide little information about positronium even complicate the analyses. A parameter I_3γ, defined as o-Ps self-decay intensity, was used to analyze Ag layer capped and non-capped silica aerogel by slow positron annihilation Doppler -broadening spectroscopy. The result shows that I_3γ can provide more information for researching mesoporous material and nanometer film.     

Improved Measurement of γ-Energy from Parapositronium 2γ-Decay

Using a silica aerogel sample with oxygen gas filled as the positronium(Ps)source and a time selecting energy spectrometer,the measurement of the y-energy of parapositronium(p-Ps)2y-decay is further improved and the result of hv=510995. 34±0.69eV is obtained by a slithering comparison with the precisely known y-energies of ¹⁹²Ir.The rest mass of a pair of positron and electron is determined by the correction with the binding energy of Ps,which shows a mass equality within 1.4ppm between positron and electron by the comparison with the rest mass of electron.     

Effect of an external electric field on the positronium formation in the positron spur

The decrease of positronium (Ps) formation in condensed matter caused by the presence of an external electric field is discussed in terms of the spur reaction model of Ps formation. The rather few experimental results available are shown to be in good agreement with the predictions of the model. Many new results are predicted by use of the available radiation-chemistry results. The work is also a reply to Brandt, who estimated that the spur process of Ps formation is insignificant in hydrocarbons. It is shown that Brandt's estimate disagrees with well established results of radiation chemistry.     

Determination of the positron diffusion length in Kapton by analysing the positronium emission

Doppler profile spectroscopy and Compton-to-peak ratio analysis have been used to study the positronium (Ps) emission from the Kapton surface as a function of the positron implantation energy E.Two different positions for the sample have been performed in the experiment.In the first case the sample and the Ge-detector are perpendicular to the positron beam. With this geometry the emission of para-positronium (p-Ps) is detected as a narrow central peak.In the second case, by rotating the sample 45° with respect to the beam axis, the emission of p-Ps is detected as a blue-shifted fly away peak. The implantation of the positrons is described by the Makhov profile, where we used the modified median implantation for polymers as given by Algers et al. [J. Algers, P. Sperr, W. Egger, G. Kögel, F.H.J. Maurer, Phys. Rev. B 67 (2003) 125404].Thermalised positrons can diffuse to the surface and may pick up an electron to be emitted as Ps. We found a thermal and or epithermal positron diffusion length L₊ = 5.43 ± 0.71 nm and L₊ = 5.51 ± 0.28 nm correspondingly for both cases, which is much more than the one found by Brusa et al. [R.S. Brusa, A. Dupasquier, E. Galvanetto, A. Zecca, Appl. Phys. A 54 (1992) 233]. The respective efficiency for the emission of Ps by picking up an electron from the surface is found to be f_pu = 0.247 ± 0.012 and f_pu = 0.156 ± 0.003.     

Processes following thermalization of positive particles in condensed matter

In previous discussions of the details of the processes which can lead to the formation of muonium, Mu, and positronium, Ps, the two fields of study have often been compared. In this communication we discuss the various mechanisms of Mu and Ps formation and particular attention is given to some of the more important differences between the physical properties of muons and positrons in condensed matter. Also, we discuss possible Mu and Ps reactions with some of the transient species created during the slowing down of the muon or positron. The effect of these latter processes may be that part of the formed Mu or Ps will not be recognized by the normal experimental techniquies. Furthermore, it is emphasized that the kinetics of the various muon and positron reactions are those of non-homogeous-kinetics.     

Positron moderation and remoderation techniques for producing cold positron and positronium sources

We review the physics of the negative affinity and hot-positron moderators that allow us to produce intense beams of slow positrons. By repeated staes of remoderation a positron beam can be focused to a microscopic spot on a solid target with little loss of intensity. The positronium (Ps) and positronium negative ions (Ps⁻) produced by such a spot will be bright enough to permit the formation of well-collimated Ps beams suitable for gravitational free fall and other experiments.     

Positronium decay and formation in paraffin wax from polarized and unpolarized positrons

Summary Ps formation and decay in heterogeneousn-alkane samples (paraffin waxes) have been studied both in the solid and in the liquid phase; then, in the solid phase, the positron's residual degree of polarization was measured at the instant of Ps formation. Differently from what is already known in homogeneousn-alkane samples, Ps shows, many degrees below the melting point, a mean lifetime longer than that typical of the liquid phase; furthermore, the mean lifetime's values pertaining to the transition between solid and liquid do not show a sharp variation across the melting temperature but gradually decrease over a range of temperatures of several degrees. Positronium decay in static magnetic fields indicates that o-Ps magnetic quenching in liquid phase is regular, and corresponds to a contact density value α=|ψ(0)|²/|ψ(0)|_vac ²=0.79±0.07; instead, in the solid phase, o-Ps magnetic quenching shows anomalous behaviour for fields weaker than 7kG. Positrons' residual polarization measurements do not reveal the presence of depolarization effects during the whole slowing-down process until Ps is formed.     

Effect of interstitial impurities on positronium formed in voids of vanadium

Angular correlation of two-photon annihilation radiation (ACAR) measurements have been performed to study the effect of interstitial impurities (O, C and D) on positronium (Ps) formation in irradiation-induced voids of vanadium. It has been observed that Ps formation is sensitively affected by doping with the interstitial impurities, irradiation dose, irradiation temperature, and also by post-irradiation annealing. The Ps component intensity is found to be related to segregation of the interstitial impurities and provides a new experimental method to study void surfaces.     

Plasma-screening effects on positronium formation

Plasma-screening effects on positronium(Ps) formation for positron-hydrogen collisions in a Debye plasma environment is further investigated using the screening approximation model with the inclusion of the modified structure of Ps.More accurate Ps formation cross sections(n = 1, 2) are obtained for various Debye lengths from the Ps formation thresholds to 50 eV. The influence of considering modified bound-state wave functions and eigenenergies for the Ps is found to result in the reduction of the Ps formation cross sections at low energies, whereas it cannot counteract the enhancement of the Ps formation by the Debye screening.     

Effect of Ps-phonon interaction on the momentum distribution of positronium atoms in a crystal

In single crystals, posttronium can exist both in the localized and delocalized states [1–8]. Delocalized positronium is revealed by peaks in the angular distribution in the annihilation of quanta (AD), which occupy positions corresponding to the projections of the reciprocal lattice vectors onto a direction determined by the setup. The peaks indicated show the Bloch states of positronium [1–3]. As the temperature increases, the fraction of delocalized positronium decreases, while the peaks stemming from it broaden (see [3–7]). The broadening of the momentum distribution n(k) of positronium atoms (compared to the Maxwellian distribution with the particle mass equal to the rest mass (m_o) of the Ps atom), as shown by Ikary [9], viewing the Ps atom as an exciton, can be explained as the decay of quasiparticle positronium states due to the Ps-phonon interaction.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 11, pp. 63–66, November, 1981.     

Resonant scattering of positronium in collision with CO2

The total cross sections of positronium (Ps) scattering from a carbon-dioxide molecule have been measured over the range (7-400) eV incident-Ps energy. For the first time in Ps collisions, a resonantlike structure is observed. For the present target, it occurs around 9.5 eV followed by a broader peak at ～60 eV. Following Brawley et al. [Science 330, 789 (2010)] who have observed similarities between the total cross sections of positronium and of electrons incident upon a given target at the same velocity, a corresponding comparison is made for CO2. The comparison suggests that the former peak corresponds to the well-known 2Π(u) shape resonance which occurs for electrons at an incident velocity of 0.5 a.u. Further features are discussed and theoretical input is sought.     

Experiments with a high-density positronium gas

We have created a high-density gas of interacting positronium (Ps) atoms by irradiating a thin film of nanoporous silica with intense positron bursts and measured the Ps lifetime using a new single-shot technique. When the positrons were compressed to 3.3 x 10(10) cm-2, the apparent intensity of the orthopositronium lifetime component was found to decrease by 33%. We believe this is due to a combination of spin exchange quenching and PS2 molecule formation associated with colliding pairs of oppositely polarized triplet positronium atoms. Our data imply an effective cross section for this process of 2.9 x 10(-14) cm-2.     

Optical spectroscopy of molecular positronium

We report optical spectroscopic measurements of molecular positronium (Ps(2)), performed via a previously unobserved L=1 excited state. Ps(2) molecules created in a porous silica film, and also in vacuum from an Al(111) crystal, were resonantly excited and then photoionized by pulsed lasers, providing conclusive evidence for the production of this molecular matter-antimatter system and its excited state. Future experiments making use of the photoionized vacuum L=1 Ps(2) could provide a source of Ps(+) ions, as well as other multipositronic systems, such as Ps(2)H(-) or Ps(2)O.     

Positronium diffusion in porous methylsilsesquioxanethin films

Depth profiled positronium (Ps) annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) is an extremely useful probe of the pore characteristics in nanoporous low-dielectric (low-k) constant thin films. PALS has also been considered as a potential probe to investigate diffusion barrier integrity and the structural changes of porous low-k films during their integration with Cu. Hence, it is essential to understand the diffusion behaviour of positronium/Cu atoms in the films. In this work, based on the fact that porous materials possess characteristics of statistical self-similarity, a fractal model, the Menger sponge model, has been applied to simulate the structure of a promising dielectric, porous methylsilsesquioxane (MSQ) films. The diffusion behaviour of Ps out of the fractal model and into the surrounding vacuum is studied by means of the diffusion equation and traditional advective-diffusive theory. Predictive results from our model show good agreement with measurement data.     

On the positronium yield enhancement in polyethylene in high electric fields

The enhancement of the positronium (Ps) formation in polyethylene on the application of an electric field above 0.35 MV cm^-1, measured by Bisi et al., is discussed in terms of the spur model of Ps formation. Apparently, two effects can explain the results, namely (1) Ps formation by positron reaction with electrons injected in the charging processes at a high field, and (2) field dependent thermionic emission of excess electrons and positron trapped in the positron spur. The Ps enhancement in high fields does not disprove the spur model, even if the heating up of the positrons in high fields is assumed to take place.     

Confined states of a positronium in a spherical quantum dot

Confined states of a positronium (Ps) in the spherical quantum dot (QD) are theoretically investigated in three size-quantization (SQ) regimes: strong, weak and intermediate. In the strong SQ regime, analytical expressions for the wave functions (WFs) and energy of the electron-positron pair are obtained. In the weak SQ regime, the Ps energy and binding energy are analytically calculated. To calculate the Ps energy in the intermediate SQ regime, variational and numerical methods are used. It is shown that, in the corresponding limits, the results obtained by variational method agree with those obtained in the strong and weak SQ regimes.