Effects of Ps polarization potentials on Ps total cross-sections of the collisions of positrons with alkali metal atoms and alkaline-earth positive ions

Summary The previous form of the coupled-static approximation applied to the inelastic scattering of positrons by alkali metal atoms is improved by switching on the polarization potentials of the positroniums. The effect of these potentials on the total elastic and positronium formation cross-sections of three different scattering problems (namely the collisions of positrons with lithium, sodium and potassium atoms) is discussed in details. Particularly, we devote our interest to the comparison between the resultant positronium formation cross-sections and those of the inelastic collisions of positrons with berylium, magnesium and calcium positive ions.