Positron scattering by atoms

We describe the present status of coupled-state calculations for positron scattering by ‘one-electron’ atoms. We show how pseudostates are used to represent the continuum channels. Illustrative results from positron scattering by atomic hydrogen and the alkali metals are presented.     

A new smoothing-regularization approach for a maximum-likelihood estimation problem

We consider the problem min _i=1 ^m (aⁱ,x–b_iloga ⁱ, z) subject tox 0 which occurs as a maximum-likelihood estimation problem in several areas, and particularly in positron emission tomography. After noticing that this problem is equivalent to mind(b, Ax) subject tox 0, whered is the Kullback-Leibler information divergence andA, b are the matrix and vector with rows and entriesa ⁱ,b _i, respectively, we suggest a regularized problem mind(b, Ax) + d(v, Sx), where is the regularization parameter,S is a smoothing matrix, andv is a fixed vector. We present a computationally attractive algorithm for the regularized problem, establish its convergence, and show that the regularized solutions, as goes to 0, converge to the solution of the original problem which minimizes a convex function related tod(v, Sx). We give convergence-rate results both for the regularized solutions and for their functional values.The research of A. N. Iusem was partially supported by CNPq Grant No. 301280/86-MA.     

Recent developments on the fluorinase from Streptomyces cattleya

This is a summary of a lecture presented at the 100th Anniversary, Moissan Symposium in Paris on Friday, 10 November 2006. The lecture highlighted recent developments on the enzyme structure, mechanism and biotransformation prospects of the fluorinase enzyme identified in 2002 from the bacterium Streptomyces cattleya. Over-expression of the enzyme has allowed it to be used as a catalyst for ¹⁸F-incorporation during the synthesis of potential ligands for positron emission tomography (PET) applications.     

Characterization of a SiC/SiC composite by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and positron spectroscopies

A SiC/SiC composite is characterized by X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and various positron spectroscopies (slow positron implantation, positron lifetime and re-emission). It is found that besides its main constituent 3C-SiC the composite still must contain some graphite. In order to better interpret the experimental findings of the composite, a pyrolytic graphite sample was also investigated by slow positron implantation and positron lifetime spectroscopies. In addition, theoretical calculations of positron properties of graphite are presented.     

Exponential correlated basis in Schwinger variational principle for positronium formation in hydrogen

An exponential correlated basis set is tested within the framework of multi-channel Schwinger variational principle in the momentum space. It is found that inclusion of only the positron-electron correlation in the basis set is enough to obtain accurate results for all significant partial waves for ground state positronium formation in positron-hydrogen collisions at low and intermediate energies (6.856–75 eV). Results are in conformity with other accurate variational and non-variational calculations as well as observed data available in the literature.     

Stabiliser distribution and efficiency examined by depth profiling polypropylene using a positron beam

The effectiveness of stabilisers, organic (hindered amine light stabilisers), inorganic (nanoparticulate zinc oxide), and combinations thereof, in preventing the signatures of degradation in polypropylene subjected to accelerated weathering is studied. Not only the type of stabiliser but also its distribution is important for stabiliser efficiency. The spatial effects of stabilization are studied using positron spectroscopy depth profiling.     

Free-volume changes at nanoscale in doped polyacrylic acid studied by positron annihilation spectroscopy

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) doped with carbon black (CB), chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃) and cupferron with different wt% (0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, and 1%) was studied using positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) technique and Doppler broadening of annihilation radiation (DBAR). Ortho-positronium lifetime components (τ₃ and I₃) were used to estimate the nanoscale free-volume hole sizes (V_f) and its fractions (f). It was found that the hole size V_f and its fractions f as well as S-parameters decreased at high value of doping concentration due to dopants-polymer formation. These results are supported by a significant narrowing in the nanoscale free-volume hole size distributions.

The correlation between positron annihilation parameters and electric conductivity are discussed.     

Characterization of boron carbon nitride film modified by excimer laser annealing

Boron carbon nitride (BCN) shows promise as a field emitter material because of its mechanical hardness, chemical inertness, and low electron affinity. This study investigated the modification of a BCN film with an amorphous area using KrF excimer laser (wavelength: 248 nm, photon energy: 5.0 eV) annealing without substrate heating. This achieved significant variation in characteristics, such as an increase in bandgap energy and decrease in electron affinity. Laser annealing reduced electron affinity from 0.7 to 0.3 eV. The results indicate that the modification of the BCN film by KrF excimer laser annealing achieves characteristics similar to hexagonal BN (h-BN) film without losing the desirable properties of the BCN film, such as physical stability.     

Study of the Heterocyclic-Substituted Platinum-1,2-Enedithiolate 3ILCT Excited States by Transient Absorption Spectroscopy

The photoluminescent 1,2-enedithiolate complexes, (dppe)Pt{S₂C₂(2-quinoxaline)(H)}, [L₂Pt{S₂C₂(2-pyridinium)(H)}]⁺ where L₂ = dppm and dppe, [L₂Pt{S₂C₂(4-pyridinium)(H)}]⁺, [L₂Pt{₂C₂(N-Methyl-4-pyridinium)(H)}]⁺ and [L₂Pt{S₂C₂(CH₂CH₂-N-2-pyridinium)}]⁺ where L₂ = dppm, dppe, and dppp are room temperature dual emitters where the emissions have thiolate to heterocycle * intraligand charge transfer character (ILCT) singlet and triplet character. The pyridinium complexes have strong triplet-triplet absorption bands at approximately 400, 520 and 630 nm with a weaker band at 800 nm while (dppe)Pt{S₂C₂(2-quinoxaline)(H)} has strong triplet-triplet absorption bands at 385 and 550 nm with weaker bands at 610 and 805 nm. By fitting the decay of the transients to single exponential kinetics, the ³ILCT* lifetimes of the pyridinium complexes where determined to be 0.7 to 15.9 s (DMSO) while the ₃ILCT* lifetime of (dppe)Pt{S₂C₂(2-quinoxaline)(H)} was determined to be 2.8 s (CH₃CN). The transient absorption spectra of the complexes is affected by the appended heterocycle rather than the bulk of ancillary phosphine ligand or whether the heterocycle is protonated or alkylated.     

Positron annihilation in ionic crystals

Positron lifetime measurements were made on Ca²⁺ doped NaCl, Ba²⁺ doped NaCl and X-ray- and additively-coloured KCl crystals. In the NaCl(Ca) system a correlation which could be approximated by a power equation was found between the dopant concentration and the positron annihilation parameters. In the NaCl(Ba) system the decay parameters do not change significantly as expected and no significant difference in the decay parameters of the coloured and uncoloured crystals could be found. Paper C 4 presented at 3rd Internat'l Conf. Positron Annihilation, Otaniemi, Finland (August 1973).