Properties of positron annihilation in metals

Positron annihilation in bulk metals has been studied by examining the angular distribution of the annihilation photons in polycrystalline samples of magnesium, aluminum, copper, zinc, indium, tin, lead, and bismuth. It has been shown that conduction electrons as well as core electrons take part in this process. The conduction electron densities and Fermi energies have been determined. It is found that the electron density in the vicinity of a positron is significantly higher than the density of the free electron gas. We believe that this is due to the formation of Wheeler complexes and we estimate its charge. We have analyzed various means of measuring the conduction electron density and conclude that the positron method gives the most reliable information. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 929–934 (June 1999)