Papers by Author: Atsuo Kawasuso

Abstract: We have developed a positron microbeam using magnetic lenses based on the commercial scanning electron microscope. The minimum beam diameter was 1.9 μm on target. Two-dimensional image of S parameter was successfully obtained. Using this apparatus, S parameter distribution around the crack tip introduced by a stress corrosion cracking of a stainless steel was obtained. S parameter increases at the further region of the tip of the crack. This shows that vacancy type defects may be generated as crack precursor.

Abstract: Using positron lifetime spectroscopy, we examined the evolution of defects in the Ti24Cr36V40 alloy prepared by arc-melting method during hydriding cycles. We found that the positron lifetime increases with increasing the pressure swing cycles. This behavior is well correlated with the degradation of hydrogen transfer change with the pressure swing cycles. The prolonged positron lifetime is attributed to dislocation-related defects. Both dislocations and vacancies bound at dislocations may act as positron trapping centers. After the heat treatment at 400oC, a partial recovery of positron lifetime was observed.

Abstract: In this work, we studied a few surfaces, of which the structures have not yet been revealed, using reflection high-energy positron diffraction (RHEPD). We studied the Ge(111)/Pb and Ge(111)/Sn surfaces that exhibit the phase transition from 3×3 to √3×√3 periodicities at around 200K. We found that in both phases the equilibrium positions of Pb and Sn adatoms are conserved. That is, in the unit-cell, one of three adatoms is located upper position and two of them are located lower positions (one-up-two-down). The phase transition is interpreted in terms of an order-disorder type. We furthermore studied the quasi-one dimensional Si(111)/In surface which exhibits the metal-insulator transition at around 120K. The high temperature phase is well explained as the zigzag chain structure. We found that a dynamic atomic displacement which leads to the formation of hexagon structure occur below 120 K. We confirmed the appearance of the band gap using the surface structure determined from the RHEPD rocking curves.

Abstract: Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) measurements were performed on polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) synthesized by radiation-induced graft polymerization of styrene into crosslinked-polytetrafluoroethylene (cPTFE) films and subsequent sulfonation. The base cPTFE and polystyrene grafted films were also measured as references. The cPTFE based PEM was found to have free-volume holes with different radius of 0.28-0.30 nm and 0.44-0.45 nm. The larger holes may be located in PTFE amorphous regions, while the smaller ones are considered to exist in both PTFE crystallites and poly(styrene sulfonic acid) grafts containing no water.