Coupled-channel calculations of positron-atom scattering at intermediate energies

We present the cross sections for positron collisions with the alkali atoms Li, Na and K in the close-coupling approximation within the framework of a single-active-electron model. Our target basis sets are represented by Li(2s, 3s, 2p, 3p), Na(3s, 4s, 3p, 4p), and K(4s, 5s, 4p, 5p) respectively. The effects of coupling to the lowest lying Ps channels have been investigated by augmenting the target basis sets with the Ps(1s, 2s, 2p) eigenstates. The calculations have been made for impact energies below 50 eV. The interaction between the positron and the alkali target atom is represented by a model potential obtained using a single-active-electron approximation. The effect on elastic scattering and excitation due to the coupling between the direct and the Ps formation channels is found to be of great significance at low impact energies. The case of K is of particular interest. The inclusion of the Ps channels quantitatively reproduces the maximum in the total cross section at about 6 eV as reported in a recent experiment by Parikh et al. We find that the calculated total cross sections for Na and K are in good agreement with the experimental data of Parikh et al. and Kwan et al. respectively in the energy range of 2–50 eV provided allowance is made for the incomplete elastic discrimination in the experiment. The Ps formation reduces the K(4s4p) cross section at all energies below 30 eV and a reduction is also seen in the elastic cross section for energies below about 7 eV. Similar effects are observed in the case of Li. In the case of Na for impact energies between 2 and 20 eV Ps formation significantly reduces the Na(3s3p) excitation cross section, while the elastic scattering cross section increases. The calculated total Ps formation cross sections for Na and K are in good agreement with the preliminary experimental data of Kwan, Stein and co-workers.     

Positronium Formation in e^＋-K Collision at Low Energies

Positronium (Ps) formation cross section for positron scattering on potassium is calculated at low impact energies (0.2-15.0eV). The present calculation uses an optical-model method with an equivalent local polarization potential. The results for the Ps (n = 1) and Ps (n = 2) formation cross sections are calculated and compared with the experimental measurements and other theoretical results.     

Positron scattering by the noble gases

We report cross sections for positron collisions with the noble gases He, Ne, Ar, Kr and Xe. These cross sections are for Ps(1s) formation and elastic scattering, and are calculated in the (truncated) coupled-static approximation. Comparison is made with experiments which measure formation of positronium into all bound states. At their maxima, the theoretical and experimental cross sections are of comparable size but, at higher energies, the theoretical numbers are often much lower than the experimental values, a discrepancy which is difficult to understand. Some very interesting structure is observed in the theoretical cross sections, but the calculations do not show the structure at high energies seen in the experiments. The importance of calculating positronium formation not only by electron capture from the outermost shell of the atom but also from inner shells is highlighted. It is suggested that a sufficiently refined experiment may be able to see shell effects. Structure in the elastic cross section which correlates with behaviour in the positronium channel is pointed out. For He, the effects of polarization and absorption in the elastic and Ps(1s) formation channels is also studied using secondorder optical potentials. Polarization and absorption are found to be very important for this system.     

质子与He+,Li++高能碰撞过程中电子俘获截面的理论计算

用OBK近似和CDW近似计算了H⁺+He⁺和H⁺+Li⁺⁺碰撞过程中电子俘获到激发态的分截面与俘获到基态分截面的比值，结果发现用OBK近似给出的比值和用CDW方法所给出的相应比值在高能区符合得很好．由此提出了一种用于计算高能H⁺与任一类氢离子碰撞的电子俘获总截面及任一激发态分截面的方法 关键词：     

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.     

Positron scattering and ionization of neon atoms—theoretical investigations

Although positron scattering with inert gas atoms has been studied in theory as well as in experiment, there are discrepancies. The present work reports all the major total cross sections of e+-neon scattering at incident energies above ionization threshold, originating from a complex potential formalism. Elastic and cumulative inelastic scatterings are treated in the complex spherical e+-atom potential. Our total inelastic cross section includes positronium formation together with ionization and excitation channels in Ne. Because of the Ps formation channel it is difficult to separate out ionization cross sections from the total inelastic cross sections. An approximate method similar to electron-atom scattering has been applied to bifurcate ionization and cumulative excitation cross sections at energies from threshold to 2000 eV. Comparisons of present results with available data are made. An important outcome of this work is the relative contribution of different scattering processes, which we have shown by a bar-chart at the ionization peak.     

Positronium formation in Debye plasma

Positronium (Ps) formation during positron-hydrogen collisions in Debye plasma has been studied in detail by using the second-order distorted-wave approximation with the inclusion of the adiabatic dipole polarization potential. Reliable results have been reported at several incident positron energies in the range from the Ps formation threshold to 500 eV for different values of the Debye screening parameter μ. Resonances for S-, P- and D-wave partial Ps formation cross sections appear to exist for 0.03 ≤ μ ≤ 0.3. Interesting structures in the differential cross sections are displayed in the surface plots. It is reported here for the first time that there is a huge probability of Ps formation in dense plasma corresponding to Debye screening parameter μ ≥ 0.3.     

Formation of negative hydrogen ion in positronium-hydrogen collisions

The importance of the excited states of Positronium (Ps) in the formation cross sections (both differential and total) of the negative hydrogen ion (H^-) are investigated theoretically for the charge transfer reaction, Ps (n = 1, 2) + H ↦ e⁺ + H^- for a wide range of incident energies (e.g., threshold – 500 eV). The calculations are performed in the frame work of a qualitative model, the post collisional Coulomb modified eikonal approximation (CMEA). A comparative study is also made between the capture from ground and excited states of the Ps. The present CMEA model takes account of higher order effects which is essential for a rearrangement process where the first Born type approximation (Coulomb Born for the ionic case) is not supposed to be adequate. At low incident energies, the excited states of Ps (2s, 2p) are found to play a dominant role in the H^- formation cross sections. Significant deviations are noted between the present CMEA and the Coulomb Born (CBA) results even at very high incident energies (e.g., E_i = 500 eV), indicating the importance of higher order effects. At high incident energies the present CMEA differential cross section (DCS) exhibits a double peak structure which is totally absent in the CBA and could again be attributed to higher order effects.     

Positronium beam technology

A newly constructed magnetically-guided positron beamline is described and investigations of positronium (Ps) interactions are reported. Using a timed beam and a double cell arrangement, the first direct measurements of Ps-Ar total cross sections have been made at intermediate energies. Preliminary results are presented.     

Cross-channel coupling in positron-atom scattering

Coupled-state calculations including positronium channels are reported for positron scattering by atomic hydrogen, lithium and sodium. Integrated cross sections and total cross sections are presented for all three atoms. For lithium differential cross sections are also given. Throughout, comparison is made between results calculated with and without inclusion of the positronium channels. S-wave cross sections for positron scattering by atomic hydrogen in the Ps(1s, 2s, 2p)+H(1s, 2s, 2p) approximation show the high energy resonance first observed by Higgins and Burke in the coupled-static approximation. This resonance has now moved up to 51.05 eV and narrowed in width to 2.92 eV. Other pronounced structure is seen in the S-wave cross sections between 10 and 20 eV; it is tentatively suggested that this structure may be due to the formation of a temporary pseudo-molecular collision complex. Results calculated in the Ps(1s, 2s, , 2p, ,+H(1s, 2s, , 2p, approximation show convergence towards accurate values in the energy region below and in the Ore gap. Contrary to previous work on lithium using only an atomic basis, it is found that coupling to the 3d state of lithium is not so important when positronium channels are included; this is because a mixed basis of atom and positronium states gives a more rapidly convergent approximation than an expansion based on atom states alone. The threshold behaviour of the elastic cross section and the Ps(1s) formation cross section for lithium is investigated. Results in the Ps(1s, 2s, 2p)+Na(3s, 3p) approximation for sodium show good agreement with the total cross section measurements of Kwan et al.     

Positronium formation in positron-helium collisions with a screened Coulomb interaction

A study is conducted on positronium (Ps) formation in positron-helium collisions under the effect of a Coulomb screening, e⁺ + He(1s ²) ?? Ps(100) + He⁺(100), using the second-order distorted-wave approximation (DWA) and taking into consideration the screened dipole polarisation potential at low and intermediate incident positron energies in the range, 6 ? 500 eV. The theoretical model for the scattering calculation is fairly accurate and predicts a number of interesting features in the total and differential cross sections for the screening parameter, ?? = 0.0?0.4. The existence of resonances in the S-, P-, D- and F-partial waves has been reported in this work. Surface plots of the total and differential cross sections have also been presented to illustrate the interesting nature of the Ps formation in this scattering process.     

Measurements of positronium formation cross sections for positron-ar and-K scattering

We have made preliminary measurements of positronium (Ps) formation cross sections for 9 to 452 eV positrons scattered from Ar atoms and for 1 to 20 eV positrons scattered from K atoms. Our experimental approach involves setting lower and upper limits on Ps formation cross sections using a combination of (1) the detection of the coincidences of 511 keV annihilation gamma rays produced by the decay of para-Ps and by the interaction of ortho-Ps with the wall of the scattering cell in which the Ps is formed, and (2) the determination of scattering cross sections associated with the measured transmission of the positron beam through the gas in our scattering cell with the angular discrimination of our apparatus deliberately made as poor as possible. The constraints placed by these lower and upper limits are used to check for consistency with prior experimental and theoretical results for Ar and to provide the first measurements of Ps formation cross sections for K, which are compared with available theoretical results.     

Dynamics of positron scattering from lithium,sodium and potassium atoms in hot and dense plasmas

The dynamics of positron scattering from the ground state of lithium, sodium and potassium atoms in hot and dense plasmas has been investigated by applying a two-state approximation that includes elastic scattering and rearrangement scattering. The wave functions and energies of the target alkali atoms have been determined quite accurately within the framework of the ’method of model potential’. An inclusive study was made on the effects of plasma screening on the differential and total cross sections for elastic scattering and positronium formation in the ground state for the incident positron energy lying within 10 eV to 500 eV. For the unscreened case, our present results agree reasonably with the results of other calculations. It was found that the cross sections suffer considerable change due to the effects of the background plasma.     

Unified treatment of positron annihilation and positronium formation

The effects of the positron (e(+)) annihilation in e(+) scattering by the H atom are included directly in the Hamiltonian as an absorption potential, and hence the finite lifetimes Gamma(ns) of positronium (Ps) in states ns are automatically taken account of. The Schr?dinger equation is solved using the hyperspherical close-coupling method. The annihilation and Ps formation are shown to be inseparable near the Ps(1s) threshold E(th); Ps formation constitutes just an indirect pathway to annihilation. The annihilation cross section, which would diverge near E(th) if Gamma(1s) were infinite, connects smoothly across E(th) to the cross section for Ps formation, which is meaningful only at energies well above E(th).     

Measurement of electron swarm coefficients in C2F4-Xe and evidence of Penning ionization in C2F4-Ar

In this work, the coupled-channel optical method (CCOM) is implemented in a study of positron-rubidium (Rb) scattering at intermediate and high energies. The CCOM provides a realistic calculation for positron-atom scattering where the ab-initio optical potential accounts for the omitted continuum effect in the scattering system. The integral, positronium (Ps) formation and total cross sections are compared to experimental and other theoretical data where available.     

Inner-shell electron capture by impact of positron on the multi-electron atomic targets

The first-order Coulomb-Born approximation has been applied to the study of positronium formation through K-shell electron capture in the collision of positron with multi-electron atomic targets. The single-zeta Roothaan-Hartree-Fock wave functions are used to describe the electron initial bound states. The differential and total cross sections are computed for the impact of positron on helium, carbon, neon, sodium and argon atoms, with the formation of positronium in its ground state. For helium atoms, the calculated total cross sections are compared with the available experimental data and other theoretical calculations. The comparison shows a good agreement between the present calculations and the measurements.     

Optical potential approach for positron scattering by metastable 2~3S state of helium

The momentum space coupled channels optical(CCO) method for positron scattering has been extended to study the scattering of positrons by metastable helium for impact energies in the range from the positronium threshold up to high energies. Both the positronium formation and ionization continuum channels are included in the calculations via a complex equivalent local potential. The positronium formation, ionization, elastic and 2~3S–2~3P excitation, and total scattering cross sections are all presented and compared with the available information.     

K-shell single-electron capture in collision of fast protons with multi-electron atoms

Single-electron capture from the K shell of atomic targets by impact of protons at moderate and high energies has been studied using a first-order three-body Coulomb-Born continuum distorted wave approximation. The applied formalism satisfies the correct Coulomb boundary conditions. Single-zeta Roothaan-Hartree-Fock wave functions are used to describe the initial electronic bound state of the exchanged electron. Both differential and integral capture cross sections are calculated for impact of protons on carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, neon and argon atoms. The results are compared with the available measurements and other theories. The agreement between the calculations and experimental data is remarkable.