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.     

不同气氛下多孔硅中电子偶素湮没行为研究

使用正电子湮没谱学方法,在不同气氛下对电化学腐蚀法制备的多孔硅中电子偶素的湮没行为进行了系统的研究.正电子湮没寿命谱测试结果表明,样品中存在长达40 ns的电子偶素湮没成分,并且进入多孔硅膜层的正电子约有80%形成电子偶素,具有非常高的电子偶素产额;在氧气气氛下,由于气体导致o-Ps发生自旋转化猝灭是使多孔硅样品中电子偶素寿命缩短的主要原因.结合正电子寿命-动量关联谱测量结果,分析了不同气氛下多孔硅样品中电子偶素湮没寿命及动量变化关系,讨论了多孔硅中电子偶素的湮没机理以及气氛对孔径计算理论模型的影响. 关键词： 电子偶素 正电子湮没谱学方法 多孔硅     

A compact positron annihilation lifetime spectrometer

Using LYSO scintillator coupled on HAMAMATSU R9800(a fast photomultiplier)to form the small size γ-ray detectors,a compact lifetime spectrometer has been built for the positron annihilation experiments.The system time resolution FWHM=193 ps and the coincidence counting rate -8 cps/μCi were achieved.A lifetime value of 219±1 ps of positron annihilation in well annealed Si was tested,which is in agreement with the typical values published in the previous lectures.     

正电子偶素(o-Ps)寿命困惑及其最终解决

正电子偶素o-Ps是由电子和正电子组成的纯轻子束缚系统，o-Ps在真空中的寿命可由量子电动力学进行精确的理论计算，但长期以来理论值和实验测量值之间存在较大的偏差，为了解决这一问题，理论和实验物理学经过长期共同努力，最终于近年解决了o-Ps寿命困惑．文章简要介绍了正电子偶素o-Ps寿命理论值和实验值之间不一致的历史状况和最近的实验技术的改进以及该问题的最终解决情况，并重点介绍了Tokyo实验组和Michigan实验组的最新结果．     

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).     

Depth-dependent positronium formation in γ-irradiated polymers after 30-month aging

Depth-dependent positronium (Ps) formation and annihilation study of Co-60 γ-irradiated polyethylene and polytetrafluorethylene were performed. After 30-month aging, no free radicals effect on Ps formation was detected for the studied polymers. Efficient trapping of back-diffusion positrons was observed in heavily irradiated samples, where Ps formation probability near polymer surface and in the bulk turns to be equivalent to each other. Results shown that positron annihilation Doppler broadening in polytetrafluorethylene is prevailingly influenced by high momentum electrons of fluorine atoms instead of Ps intensity.     

Investigations of positronium formation and destruction using 3gamma/2gammaannihilation-ratio measurements

Positronium (Ps) produced by 4 to 40 eV positrons colliding with Ne, Ar, Kr, CO2, and O2 is investigated by measuring the ratio of signals of two gamma rays in coincidence resulting from (a) three gamma annihilation of ortho-Ps and (b) two annihilation gamma rays due to para-Ps decay and destruction of ortho-Ps at an aluminum scattering cell surface. These ratios provide evidence that relates to the kinetic energy dependence of ortho-Ps interactions with an aluminum surface, the Ps formation potential at this surface, and the fact that Ps is being formed with inner orbital electrons for CO2 and O2.     

Enhancement of positron-atom annihilation near the positronium formation threshold

The behavior of the positron- 2 gamma annihilation rate on an atomic target near the positronium (Ps) formation threshold is determined. When the positron energy epsilon approaches the threshold epsilon(thr) from below, the effective number of electrons contributing to the annihilation, Z(eff), grows as Z(eff) approximately A/square root of [epsilon(thr)-epsilon], where A is related to the size of the Ps formation cross section, sigma(Ps) approximately B square root of [epsilon-epsilon(thr)], by A = B square root of [2 epsilon(thr)]/32 pi (in atomic units). Taking account of the finite Ps lifetime eliminates the singularity in Z(eff) and shows that close to threshold the positron annihilation cross section is identical to the para-Ps formation cross section.     

Multi-reference configuration interaction calculation of positronium fluoride 2,1S and 2,1P states

Multi-reference configuration interaction calculations for the ground state ^2,1S and an excited state ^2,1P of positronium fluoride (PsF) were performed, and their energies, the positronium (Ps) binding energies and the two-photon positron-electron pair annihilation rates were presented. From an analysis of the convergence pattern of the total energies and the two-photon annihilation rates with respect to the angular momentum of basis functions, an extrapolation method which may give accurate Ps binding energies and two-photon annihilation rates was applied. Estimated Ps binding energy for ^2,1S state of PsF was in good agreement with the recent reliable calculations. The structures of ^2,1S and ^2,1P states of PsF also were predicted from the point of view of the two-photon annihilation rate.     

Spin-orbit quenching of positronium during atomic collisions

When positrons are injected into a gas, 75% of the positronium (Ps) is likely to be formed as long-lived ortho-Ps. The main decay mechanisms for the ortho-Ps have been assumed to be natural decay of ortho-Ps and pickoff annihilation of the positron during Ps-atom collisions. A third possibility for annihilation is ortho-Ps-->para-Ps conversion due to the spin-orbit interaction between the atom and colliding Ps. This extra quenching mechanism may explain a number of phenomena observed in the annihilation spectrum of Kr and Xe, including the very small Ps fraction of 3% seen for Xe.     

SMMA/SMA共聚物共混物的自由体积的热动态特性与相分离行为的PALS研究

基于自由体积理论，利用正电子湮灭寿命谱仪(PALS)分别研究在不同升温速率条件下，聚苯乙烯-甲基丙烯酸甲酯共聚物(SMMA)和聚苯乙烯-马来酸酐共聚物(SMA)混合物(30/70)的自由体积参数的温度依赖性，探索相容共混物相行为的热动态特性.在PALS实验中，在玻璃化转变温度T_g以上，当结构松弛的弛豫时间与等温停留时间相当，发现在某一段温度范围内，共混物的自由体积参数随着温度的变化明显地偏离线性关系.从自由体积孔的浓度I₃值在该段的变化趋势，初步推断共混物在该温 关键词： 正电子湮没 正电子素 聚合物共混物 相分离     

Defects in electron irradiated amorphous SiO2 probed by positron annihilation

Defects in 3-MeV electron irradiated amorphous (a-) SiO₂ were studied by the positron annihilation technique. A high formation probability of positronium (Ps) was found for un-irradiated a-SiO₂ specimens. These Ps atoms were considered to be trapped by vacancy-type defects. The formation probability of Ps was drastically decreased by the electron irradiation. This fact can be attributed to an introduction of vacancy-type defects such as oxygen vacancies by the electron irradiation and a resultant trapping of positrons by such defects.     

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.     

Second bound state of PsH

The existence of a second bound state of PsH that is electronically stable and also stable against positron annihilation by the normal 2gamma and 3gamma processes is demonstrated by explicit calculation. The state can be found in the ;{2,4}S;{o} symmetries with the two electrons in a spin-triplet state. The binding energy against dissociation into the H(2p)+Ps(2p) channel was 7.03 x 10;(-4) hartree. The dominant decay mode of the states will be radiative decay into a configuration that autoionizes or undergoes positron annihilation. The NaPs system of the same symmetry is also electronically stable with a binding energy of 1.514 x 10;(-3) hartree with respect to the Na(3p)+Ps(2p) channel.     

Localized positronium atoms in porous structures studied by 2D-ACAR

The localization of positronium (Ps) atoms was studied by measurements of two-dimensional angular correlation of positron annihilation radiation (2D-ACAR) for porous glasses. Annihilations of positron-electron pairs with a large anisotropy were found in 2D-ACAR spectra. This fact can be attributed to the momentum uncertainty due to the localization of Ps in a finite dimension of pores. The present investigation showed the possibility of the detection of microstructures in amorphous materials by the 2D-ACAR technique.     

The role of positronium decoherence in positron annihilation in matter

A small difference between the energies of the para-positronium (p-Ps) and ortho-positronium (o-Ps) states suggests the possibility of the superposition of p-Ps and o-Ps during the formation of positronium (Ps) from pre-Ps, terminating its migration in the matter in a void. It is shown that such a superposition decoheres in the basis of p-Ps and o-Ps. The decoherence time scale estimated here motivates a correction in the precise analysis of the positron annihilation lifetime spectra. More generally, the superposited Ps state should contribute to the theory of the evolution of positronium in matter.     

正电子寿命-动量关联技术

评述了国际正电子领域的新探测技术———寿命 动量关联技术.介绍了该技术的发展过程,讨论了该技术的分析方法,详细阐述了该技术在Ps形成和热化过程中的应用,并讨论了该技术在Ps化学上的应用.A new detection technique--age momentum correlation in international positron field is reviewed. The recent development is described and the analysis methods are discussed for the technique. The application of the technique in the positronium formation and thermalization processes are systematically summarized. Besides the application of the technique in Ps chemistry is discussed.     

SmFeAsO材料的正电子寿命研究

首次用正电子湮灭寿命谱仪（PALS）测量SmFeAsO多晶样品常温下的寿命谱,得到两个寿命成分1516 ps和2903 ps,根据捕获模型得到正电子在SmFeAsO中湮灭的体寿命为1870 ps,与理论计算（广义梯度近似）得到的SmFeAsO单晶中的正电子体寿命173 ps符合较好.基于中性原子叠加模型-有限差分方法(SNA-FD)的理论计算得到正电子与单晶SmFeAsO中各个原子价电子的总湮灭率是其与各个原子核心内层电子总湮灭率的106倍,正电子与Fe,As,Sm,O原子的电子湮灭的概率之比是1∶13∶12∶1. 关键词： 高温超导 正电子寿命     

Search for spin effect in positron interaction with optically active camphor

Summary The depolarization, relative to the direction of a magnetic field, which accompanies the slowing-down of positrons in the two enantiomers of camphor, down to the positronium formation energy, has been found to be greater (27%) in L-camphor. The measuring method was based on the Ps relative yield, in the magnetic field, in triplet and singlet state. All other annihilation features, as well as the intrinsic properties of Ps once formed, do not display significant differences between the two enantiomers. This work was supported by INFM (Consorzio Nazionale di Fisica della Materia).     

The application of artificial neural networks to the inversion of the positron lifetime spectrum

A new method of processing positron annihilation lifetime spectra is proposed.It is based on an artificial neural network(ANN)-back propagation network(BPN).By using data from simulated positron lifetime spectra which are generated by a simulation program and tested by other analysis programs,the BPN can be trained to extract lifetime and intensity from a positron annihilation lifetime spectrum as an input.In principle,the method has the potential to unfold an unknown number of lifetimes and their intensities from a measured spectrum.So far,only a proof-of-principle type preliminary investigation was made by unfolding three or four discrete lifetimes.The present study aims to design the network.Besides,the performance of this method requires both the accurate design of the BPN structure and a long training time.In addition,the performance of the method in practical applications is dependent on the quality of the simulation model.However,the chances of satisfying the above criteria appear to be high.When appropriately developed,a trained network could be a very efficient alternative to the existing methods,with a very short identification time.We have used the artificial neural network codes to analyze data such as the positron lifetime spectra for single crystal materials and monocrystalline silicon.Some meaningful results are obtained.