Use of traps to study positron annihilation in astrophysically relevant media

We discuss possible experiments which can exploit recently-developed techniques to accumulate, store, and manipulate low-energy positrons to measure the parameters associated with positron annihilation radiation from media of astrophysical interest. Media discussed include collections of dust grains, partially ionized gases, He, H₂, and other molecular gases and gas mixtures, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules relevant to the interstellar medium.     

The use of positrons for the study of solids

In this review the present state of the use of positron annihilation for the study of solids is considered. The possibilities of using the positrons for studying the properties of, and investigating of processes in, both the body and the surface of real solids, are discussed.     

Doppler broadening of in-flight positron annihilation radiation due to electron momentum.

We report the first observation of electron momentum contributions to the Doppler broadening of radiation produced by in-flight two-photon annihilation in solids. In these experiments an approximately 2.5 MeV positron beam impinged on thin polyethylene, aluminum, and gold targets. Since energetic positrons easily penetrate the nuclear Coulomb potential and do not cause a strong charge polarization, the experimental annihilation line shapes agree well with calculations based on a simple independent-particle model. Moreover, annihilations with the deepest core electrons are greatly enhanced.     

碳同素异形体中的正电子理论

在密度函数理论的基础上,采用中性原子叠加模型和有限差分方法(SNA-FD)计算了石墨,金刚石和C60这三种碳的同素异形体中的正电子分布和湮没情况. 计算表明,在片层结构的石墨晶体中,正电子主要在石墨层间的空隙中湮没,计算出的石墨中的正电子寿命为208ps,与文献中的实验结果210ps符合很好. 在金刚石单晶中,正电子主要在碳原子之间的空隙中存在并发生湮没,计算出的金刚石中的正电子寿命为1159ps,与文献中的实验结果110ps相符合;在面心立方结构的C60晶体中,正电子主要在C60分子球壳内外侧及分子之 关键词： 石墨 金刚石 C60 正电子寿命     

Positron annihilation studies of vacancy-type defects

The annihilation radiation of low energy positrons gives information on the electronic and defect structure of solids. There are three conventionally measurable quantities: the positron lifetime, the angular correlation of 2 annihilation radiation and the Doppler-broadened annihilation line shape. In the presence of lattice defects the annihilation characteristics show considerable changes. This is due to positron trapping at defects like vacancies and their agglomerates, voids, dislocations and grain boundaries. The concentration of defects can be deduced from the ratio of trapped and free positrons.The annihilation characteristics are different for different defect configurations. Positrons reveal vacancy agglomeration and the lifetime of trapped positrons gives estimates on the size of microvoids in the range of 2–10 Å. Various examples on the study of equilibrium and non-equilibrium defects, radiation damage and defect annealing are presented. Special emphasis is given to vacancy recovery and vacancy-impurity interactions in electron and neutron irradiated bcc transition metals like Fe, Mo, Nb, Ta.     

Gamma-ray Constraint on galactic positron production by MeV dark matter

The Galactic positrons, as observed by their annihilation gamma-ray line at 0.511 MeV, are difficult to account for with astrophysical sources. It has been proposed that they are produced instead by dark matter annihilation or decay in the inner Galactic halo. To avoid other constraints, these processes are required to occur "invisibly," such that the eventual positron annihilation is the only detectable signal. However, electromagnetic radiative corrections to these processes inevitably produce real gamma rays ("internal bremsstrahlung"); this emission violates COMPTEL and EGRET constraints unless the dark matter mass is less than about 20 MeV.     

Stringent constraint on galactic positron production

The intense 0.511 MeV gamma-ray line emission from the Galactic Center observed by INTEGRAL requires a large annihilation rate of nonrelativistic positrons. If these positrons are injected at even mildly relativistic energies, higher-energy gamma rays will also be produced. We calculate the gamma-ray spectrum due to inflight annihilation and compare it with the observed diffuse Galactic gamma-ray data. Even with a simplified but conservative treatment, we find that the positron injection energies must be less than or similar to 3 MeV, which strongly constrains models for Galactic positron production.     

Oxidation and thermal reduction of the Cu(1 0 0) surface as studied using positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES)

Changes in the surface of an oxidized Cu(1 0 0) single crystal resulting from vacuum annealing have been investigated using positron annihilation induced Auger electron spectroscopy (PAES). PAES measurements show a large increase in the intensity of the annihilation induced Cu M_2,3VV Auger peak as the sample is subjected to a series of isochronal anneals in vacuum up to annealing temperature 300 °C. The intensity then decreases monotonically as the annealing temperature is increased to ∼600 °C. Experimental probabilities of annihilation of surface-trapped positrons with Cu 3p and O 1s core-level electrons are estimated from the measured intensities of the positron annihilation induced Cu M_2,3VV and O KLL Auger transitions. Experimental PAES results are analyzed by performing calculations of positron surface states and annihilation probabilities of surface-trapped positrons with relevant core electrons taking into account the charge redistribution at the surface, surface reconstructions, and electron-positron correlations effects. The effects of oxygen adsorption on localization of positron surface state wave function and annihilation characteristics are also analyzed. Possible explanation is proposed for the observed behavior of the intensity of positron annihilation induced Cu M_2,3VV and O KLL Auger peaks and probabilities of annihilation of surface-trapped positrons with Cu 3p and O 1s core-level electrons with changes of the annealing temperature.     

Origin of the annihilation radiation from the galactic center region

Observations show that there are two sources of positron annihilation radiation from the region of the Galactic Center: a variable, compact source at or near the Galactic Center and a steady, diffuse source in the galactic disk. We suggest that the annihilating positrons responsible for the variable, annihilation line radiation, observed from 1977 through 1979, result from photon-photon pair production, most likely around an accreting black hole, and that the annihilating, interstellar positrons, responsible for the steady, diffuse galactic annihilation radiation, result from the decay of radionuclei produced by thermonuclear burning in supernovae.     

超短超强激光产生正电子的蒙特卡罗模拟

通过理论分析,建立了超短超强激光与固体靶作用产生正电子的蒙特卡罗模拟模型及Geant4模拟程序。模拟研究了靶材料、靶厚度及超热电子温度等对正电子产额的影响,结果表明:对铝、铜、锡、钽、金、铅6种靶材料,金靶的正电子产额最高,是优秀的正电子产生靶;不同超热电子温度下存在不同的最佳靶厚度,在最佳靶厚度以下,正电子产额随靶厚度增长而增大,靶厚度取3 mm较为合适;超热电子温度越高,正电子产额也越高,提高激光强度是增加正电子产额的有效途径。模拟研究给出了正电子角分布及其能谱,结果显示,正电子发射明显前倾,从大于90方向范围发射的正电子数量极少,且超热电子温度越高前倾特点越明显,能量呈类麦克斯韦分布,靶背法线方向出射的正电子的温度随超热电子温度升高而升高。     

Positron annihilation in large polyatomic molecules. The role of vibrational Feshbach resonances and binding

We analyse the process of rapid positron annihilation in large polyatomic molecules due to positron capture into vibrational Feshbach resonances. Resonant annihilation occurs in molecules which can bind positrons, and we analyse positron binding to alkanes using zero-range potentials. Related questions of spectra of annihilation gamma quanta and molecular fragmentation following annihilation, are discussed briefly.     

Theoretical study on the positron annihilation in Rocksalt structured magnesium oxide

Based on the atomic superposition approximation(ATSUP) and first-principles pseudopotential plane-wave methods,the bulk and Mg mono-vacancy positron lifetime of magnesium oxide were calculated using Arponen-Pajamme and Boron’ski-Nieminen positron-annihilation-rate interpolation formula respectively.The calculated values are in good agreement with experimental values and the first-principles method gives more convincing results.The positron annihilation density spectra analysis reveals that positrons mainly annihilate with valence electrons of oxygen atoms when the magnesium-vacancy appears within magnesium oxide.     

利用正电子湮没技术研究钾掺杂钨合金中的缺陷

钨合金中钾的掺杂会引入大量的缺陷,如尺寸几十纳米的钾泡、高密度的位错以及微米量级的晶粒带来的晶界等,这些缺陷的浓度和分布直接影响合金的服役性能.本文运用正电子湮没谱学方法研究钾掺杂钨合金中的缺陷信息,首先模拟计算了合金中各种缺陷的正电子湮没寿命,发现钾的嵌入对空位团、位错、晶界等缺陷的寿命影响很小;然后测量了不同钾含量掺杂钨合金样品的正电子湮没寿命谱,建立三态捕获模型,发现样品中有高的位错密度和低的空位团簇浓度,验证了钾对位错的钉扎作用,阐述了在钾泡形成初期是钾元素与空位团簇结合并逐渐长大的过程;最后使用慢正电子多普勒展宽谱技术表征了样品中缺陷随深度的均匀分布和大量存在,通过扩散长度的比较肯定了钾泡、晶界等缺陷的存在.     

The study of defects in crystals by positron annihilation

The study of defects in crystals through their interaction with thermalized positrons is usually based on the trapping model. The theoretical foundation of the trapping model, based on the theory of diffusion-limited reactions, is reviewed with particular emphasis on short-range interactions between positrons and trapping defects. For this case the analytical properties of the trapping model are developed in some detail, including the effects of the initial pair distribution on the trapping rate, the effects of detrapping, and the effects associated with more than one type of trap. The assumptions that are usually made in determinations of monovacancy formation enthalpies from positron annihilation experiments are critically discussed. The need for additional experiments capable of providing information on the temperature dependence of the various parameters involved is, stressed. As an illustration we treat in detail monovacancies with finite detrapping rate plus divacancies, both in thermal equilibrium. In the final section a few remarks are added on cases with long-range interactions between positrons and traps, such as electrically charged point-defects in insulators or semiconductors, and dislocations.     

Slow positron beam study of corrosion-related defects in pure iron

Corrosion-related defects of pure iron were investigated by measuring Doppler broadening energy spectra (DBES) of positron annihilation and positron annihilation lifetime (PAL). Defect profiles of the S-parameter from DBES as a function of positron incident energy up to 30 keV (i.e. ∼1 μm depth) were analyzed. The DBES data show that S-parameter increases as a function of positron incident energy (mean depth) after corrosion, and the increase in the S-parameter is larger near the surface than in the bulk due to corrosion. Furthermore, information on defect size from PAL data as a function of positron incident energy up to 10 keV (i.e. ∼0.2 μm depth) was analyzed. In the two-state trapping model, the lifetime τ₂ = 500 ps is ascribed to annihilation of positrons in voids with a size of the order of nanometer. τ₁, which decreases with depth from the surface to the bulk, is ascribed to the annihilation of positrons in dislocations and three-dimensional vacancy clusters. The corroded samples show a significant increase in τ₁ and the intensity I₂, and near the surface the corroded iron introduces both voids and large-size three-dimensional vacancy clusters. The size of vacancy clusters decreases with depth.     

Determination of positron beam parameters by various diagnostic techniques

Various diagnostic techniques have been applied at the neutron-induced positron source Munich NEPOMUC in order to determine the positron beam parameters such as intensity, beam shape and energy distribution. The positron beam intensity is determined by the detection of the annihilation radiation of positrons, which annihilate in a movable target. The use of a micro-channel plate (MCP) detector with a CCD-camera allows a direct measurement of the positron beam shape and the lateral resolved intensity distribution. At NEPOMUC a movable MCP-assembly inside the evacuated beam line enables a quick examination of the beam shape during operation. A retarding grid was mounted inside the homogeneous magnetic guiding field in order to determine the distribution of the longitudinal positron momentum, and hence estimate the energy distribution of the positrons.     

SIMION simulation of a slow pulsed positron beam

A new slow pulsed positron beam, including a positron source, a moderator, a chopper, a pre-buncher, a main-buncher and a sample chamber, etc, has been installed and tested. It is necessary to simulate the acceleration, transportation and space focusing of positrons to meet the needs of beam debugging and further positron annihilation experiments. The result from SIMION simulations shows that the radius of the focused positron beam is less than 5 mm, which is further confirmed in our practical debugging process.     

Rectifying barrier at GaN/SiC hetero-junction studied with positron annihilation spectroscopy

Positron annihilation spectroscopy on GaN films grown on SiC substrate with MBE are presented. It is shown that the GaN/SiC interface is rectifying towards positrons, such that positrons can only travel from SiC to GaN and not vice versa. Potential steps seen by the positron at the GaN/SiC interface are calculated from experimental values of electron and positron work function. This “rectifying” effect has been successfully mimicked by inserting a thin region of very high electric field in the Variable Energy Positron Fit （VEPF） analysis. The built-in electric field is attributed to different positron affinities, dislocation and/or interface defects at the GaN/SiC interface.     

Chemical analysis using coincidence Doppler broadening and supporting first-principles theory: Applications to vacancy defects in compound semiconductors

The Doppler broadening of the positron annihilation radiation contains information on the chemical environment of vacancy defects trapping positrons in solids. The measured signal can, for instance, reveal impurity atoms situated next to vacancies. As compared to integrated quantities such as the positron annihilation rate or the annihilation line shape parameters, the full Doppler spectrum measured in the coincidence mode contains much more useful information for defect identification. This information, however, is indirect and complementary understanding is needed to fully interpret the results. First-principles calculations are a valuable tool in the analysis of measured spectra. One can construct an atomic-scale model for a given candidate defect, calculate from first principles the corresponding Doppler spectrum, and directly compare results between experiment and theory. In this paper we discuss recent examples of successful combinations of coincidence Doppler broadening measurements and supporting first-principles calculations. These demonstrate the predictive power of state-of-the-art calculations and the usefulness of such an approach in the chemical analysis of vacancy defects.     

碳纳米管束中的正电子理论

采用中性原子叠加模型和有限差分方法(SNA-FD)计算了大范围内不同管径的单壁碳纳米管束中的正电子情况，发现对于单壁碳纳米管束，正电子的主要湮没区域，湮没对象和正电子寿命随碳纳米管管径的不同而发生规律性变化.计算得到管径范围在0.8—1.6nm的碳纳米管束的正电子寿命范围为332—470ps，与实验测得的394ps符合较好.