Positronium atom in solids

The angular distribution of annihilation 's in quartz shows that the half-width of the narrow component of the correlation curves depends on the state of aggregation (whether the substance is a single crystal, a powder, or a glass). Before annihilation, the positronium atoms may be captured by defects (vacancies, pores, or regions of reduced electron density); if this is true, the half-width of the narrow component and the long positron lifetime depend on the characteristics of the defects or traps. The sizes of the defects in certain solids (quartz glass; powdered beryllium, magnesium, and aluminum oxides; and polytetrafluoroethylene) are evaluated from the experimental half-width of the narrow component and the long positron lifetime.Translated from Izvestiya VUZ. Fizika, No. 5, pp. 59–64, May, 1971.