Asymmetry of bremsstrahlung from transversely polarized electrons

By using an electron-photon coincidence method the photon emission asymmetry in the elementary process of bremsstrahlung from transversely polarized electrons was measured. For an electron beam of 300 keV incident on a gold target the asymmetry for spin up and down of the primary beam was measured for fixed direc-tions of the outgoing electrons and photons as a function of the energy split. Asymmetries up to 30% were found. The measurements are a proper test for theories going beyond the first Born approximation.     

Measurement of the asymmetry in the emission of bremsstrahlung by transversely polarized electrons

Bremsstrahlung emitted by transversely polarized electrons shows a “right-left” asymmetry in spatial distribution. Measurements and remeasurements of this asymmetry are presented using electrons of 300 and 128 keV, respectively, impinging on a gold target. Within the accuracy of the experiment there are no significant discrepancies to the partial wave calculations of Tseng and Pratt.     

Monte Carlo simulation of bremsstrahlung emission by electrons

The basic components of Monte Carlo simulation of bremsstrahlung emission by electrons are presented. Various theoretical cross-sections that have been used in Monte Carlo codes are described and the emphasis is on the more accurate partial-wave cross-sections for which numerical databases are available. Sampling algorithms for a combination of numerical scaled energy-loss cross-sections and various analytical approximations to the intrinsic angular distribution are presented. Analogue simulation of the energy spectra and angular distribution of X rays from targets irradiated by electron beams is very inefficient and a simple variance-reduction technique, which is easy to implement and has proven to be particularly effective in speeding up these simulations, is described. Results from simulations of X-ray spectra with the general-purpose Monte Carlo code penelope are compared with experimental data for different materials and incident electrons with energies in the 20 keV to 1 GeV energy range.     

Impact excitation of 42 P-potassium by polarized electrons

The present work investigates the 4² P impact excitation of potassium by longitudinally polarized electrons. Exchange scattering causes a polarization transfer from the primary electron beam to the ensemble of excited atoms which results in a non zero circular polarization of the fluorescence light emitted in foreward direction. The experimental values of light polarization agree well with values calculated using close coupling data of Moores.     

Polarizational bremsstrahlung from atomic clusters

We consider a photon emission in collisions of electrons with atomic clusters under conditions in which the radiation of atomic electrons is significant or even dominates the total spectrum. This occurs for example, when the frequency of the emitted photon is comparable with the energy of a plasmon resonance in a cluster. We consider general results of the theory of polarizational bremsstrahlung, and we present the results of recent calculations of the cross sections of this process for a number of targets.     

Left-right asymmetry in superelastic collisions of polarized electrons with unpolarized laser-excited sodium atoms

Polarized electrons have been scattered superelastically from laser-excited unpolarized sodium atoms (deexcitation of the 3² P _1/2 or 3² P _3/2 states). The left-right scattering asymmetry, which results from an interplay of the atomic charge cloud orientation, atomic fine-structure interaction and exchange processes, has been measured for energies between 6 and 20 eV and scattering angles ranging from 40 to 120°. Within the experimental uncertainty the Percival-Seaton hypothesis, which is the basis of current theoretical calculations for electron-sodium collisions, has been confirmed. However, the quantitative agreement between experimental and numerical results is satisfactory only for a 2-state close-coupling calculation of Moores.     

Polarization transfer in then 2 P-excitation of alkali atoms by longitudinally polarized electrons

In (ns — np)-excitation of alkali atoms by polarized electrons some of the spin orientation of the primary electron beam is transfered to the excited atoms because of exchange collisions. In the present work the polarization transfer to Na, K, Rb, and Cs respectively is studied by looking for the circular light polarization of (np — ns)-decay radiation emitted in forward direction following impact excitation by a beam of longitudinally polarized electrons. Maximum polarization transfers are observed at collision energies with values about 1.5 times that ofnp-thresholds. The transfer increases with increasing atomic number. In case of (6s — 6p)-excitation of cesium 45% of primary electron spin polarization is transfered to the atoms at maximum. The agreement with available close coupling data is satisfactory.     

Capture of polarized electrons into excited terms of fast atoms during grazing surface collisions

Fast ions are scattered from magnetized surfaces under grazing angles of incidence. During the interaction with the surface charge exchange is effective and results in a population of stable and excited atomic terms. This capture of electrons is characterized by anisotropic distributions of atomic orbital angular momenta and in addition — for magnetized targets — by anisotropic distributions of electronic spins. We will discuss in some detail, how these anisotropic distributions can be studied via the analysis of the state of polarization of the fluorescent light, emitted in electronic transitions from excited terms of free atoms after the impact with the surface. We show that a defined variation of the magnetization of the target affects the polarization of the emitted light in a characteristic way, which allows to deduce the electronic spin polarization of the atoms. The method implies some perspectives with respect to the study of magnetic properties of the vacuum-solid interface well above the topmost layer of surface atoms.     

Target thickness dependence of bremsstrahlung from solid films

We report initial results of a study of the target thickness dependence of bremsstrahlung from solid film targets. The electron beam energy is 50 keV and bremsstrahlung is observed at 90°. Targets are aluminium and gold. Target thicknesses from 50 μg/cm², where single interaction conditions apply, to twice the electron range, where a multiple interaction model applies, were studied. We observe the transition from thin to thick film spectra. The purpose is to investigate whether the polarization bremsstrahlung contribution may be suppressed in solid film targets.     

Understanding Silica from the Viewpoint of Asymmetry

Silica is abundant in the Earth's crust, and silicate materials are used on the global scale, from industrial products for architecture, vehicles, electronics, and optics to consumption as foods, medicines, supplements, and cosmetics. Silica has become increasingly important in current science and technology, as seen in the components of advanced materials. The characteristic formula of silica is very simply often expressed as SiO₂. However, it is difficult to draw silica precisely owing to its intricate chemical structures. We need to make a greater effort in understanding silica, even though silica chemistry has existed for over 200 years. Similar to the homochirality observed in natural amino acids, natural silica of quartz is chiral, and in some sense, the origin of life with chirality might be partly related to quartz-like silica chirality. This review focuses on the asymmetry of silica from the view of the formation of irregular tetrahedron structures of SiO₄. Silica is composed of several repeated tetrahedron units of SiO₄, leading to the formation of inorganic polymers with divergently expanded 3D structures. In this large polymeric skeleton, not every unit of SiO₄ can maintain an ideal tetrahedron, and thus, it becomes twisted. The twisting results in an asymmetric point on the Si atom, leading silica to become racemic in the stereochemical sense. Therefore, enantioselective preparation of silica should endow silica with chirality through the silica skeleton. Some recent achievements exhibit that silica is an effective chiral material and has great potential for transferring chirality from silica to other matter.     

Resonance structures in polarization bremsstrahlung from electron–atom collisions

Generalized results of the experimental and theoretical investigations on the resonance structure of polarization bremsstrahlung in the collisions of high-energy (nonrelativistic) and intermediate-energy electrons with atoms have been presented. The features of the gas-jet method of generating electromagnetic radiation used in the experimental investigation of polarization bremsstrahlung are considered. The features and regularities of the resonance structure in the differential spectra of X-ray bremsstrahlung have been analyzed as a function of the incoming electron energy.     

Circularly polarized luminescence from pyrene excimers

Recently, many reports have emerged about circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) based on excimer emission of pyrenes. The intense CPL was observed from various pyrene derivatives such as pyrenes having chiral side chains, chiral oligomers bearing multiple pyrene rings, and pyrenes encapsulated by γ-cyclodextrins. The luminescence dissymmetry factor was found to be obviously higher than the absorption one in those pyrenes. In addition, several pyrenes revealed reversible “on-off” CPL switching upon the complexation/decomplexation of metal ions.     

Photodetachment of electrons from tetracyanoethylene negative ions

A crossed beam experiment using a surface ionization negative ion source and a xenon are lamp has allowed the relative cross section for photodetachment of an electron from a negative ion of tetracyanoethylene to be determined for photons in the energy range 2.1—3.5 eV (590—350nm). The threshold energy was found to be 2.03 ± 0.07 eV.     

Reflection of electrons and photons from solids bombarded by 0.1 - to 100-MeV electrons

Electron and photon reflection ratios (in number and energy) for absorbers bombarded by electrons have been computed with the ITS Monte Carlo system version 3. Electrons of energies from 0.1 to 100 MeV have been assumed normally incident on an effectively semi-infinite absorber. The absorbers considered are elemental solids of atomic numbers from 4 to 92. The data on the electron reflection ratios agree rather well with the experimental data collected from literature except some discrepancies when the number-reflection ratio is small. For photons, the number-reflection ratio increases with increasing energy, but the energy-reflection ratio shows a maximum around 10 MeV. Empirical equations for the electron reflection ratios and the photon energy-reflection ratio are given (for electrons, graphs only).     

Polarizational bremsstrahlung in non-relativistic collisions

We review the developments made during the last decade in the theory of polarization bremsstrahlung in the non-relativistic domain. A literature survey covering the latest history of the phenomenon is given. The main features which distinguish the polarization bremsstrahlung from other mechanisms of radiation are discussed and illustrated by the results of numerical calculations.     

Circularly polarized luminescence from bridged triarylamine helicenes

The first examples of circularly polarized luminescence from chiral bridged triarylamine-based heterohelicene molecules are reported. The luminescence dissymmetry factors are approximately |0.001|.     

Small-angle polarized light scattering from amorphous spheres

Small-angle light-scattering measurements have been made using micron-diameter isotropic and spherical polymer latex particles placed between crossed polarizers. Four-leaf clover patterns are obtained, reminiscent of those commonly found for spherical birefringent scatterers. The experimental results compare closely with predictions of Mie scattering theory for isotropic spheres.