Papers by Keyword: Positron

Abstract: Annihilation process of positron in Nafion-117 was investigated under several kinds of conditions to elucidate degradation process of polymer electrolyte membrane. It was found that ortho-positronium stayed beside cluster wall and side chains and its lifetime reflected cluster size. Annihilation process of positron was found to be greatly influenced by the electronic state of sulfonic group. These results showed that positron annihilation spectroscopy would be good tool to detect degradation of polymer electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: Ortho-positronium pick off annihilation lifetime gives the information of the microscopic free volume of polymers. Polyimide polymers such as Kapton are applied in many fields, but it was impossible to apply the positron lifetime method for free volume investigation because of no positronium formation. Here, we apply the idea of the free positron annihilation probability that is sum of the probability of annihilation by the positron and electrons on the molecular chain where the positron localized and that for the annihilation with the electrons on the neighboring molecular chains. The second term is probably affected by the free volume change. We have successfully shown the temperature dependence and the electron beam irradiation effect on the free volume change by observing the free positron annihilation lifetime for Kapton.

Abstract: The recovery of shallow donor states of the atoms of phosphorus in n-FZ-Si:P material irradiated at the room temperature with 15 MeV protons was studied in the course of isochronal annealing. This process was investigated by the positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy and by low-temperature electrical measurements. The positron traps of a vacancy type manifesting themselves as deep donors have been revealed. These defects begin to anneal at ~ 593 K– 613 K; roughly estimated activation energy of the process is Ea ≈ 0.59 eV under the first order of reaction. The results suggest the involvement, at least, of one vacancy and the impurity atom of phosphorus in the microstructure of the deep donor.

Abstract: Positron chemistry refers to chemical processes of high-energy positrons injected into molecular substances, the most interesting of which is the formation of positronium (Ps), the hydrogen-like bound state between a positron and an electron. Ps is formed predominantly by fast intra-track radiation chemical processes. In polymers it tends to be localized in intra/inter-molecular open space in the sparsely packed amorphous structure. Whilst short-lived singlet para-positronium (p-Ps) undergoes self-annihilation, the positron in long-lived triplet ortho-positronium (o-Ps) annihilates with one of the spin opposite electrons bound in the surrounding polymer molecules. This process is called pick-off annihilation. The pick-off annihilation lifetime reflects the polymer chain packing through the size of the volume, where Ps is localized. Positrons are used to probe the amorphous structure of various polymeric systems. In this article, basic concepts and experimental techniques of positron chemistry in polymers as well as applications to the characterization of functional polymeric materials are overviewed.

Abstract: This article deals with the insight of using the positron (the simplest antimatter) as an entity that non-destructively probes material structure to the extent of atomic size defects, also describes the tools that have been in practice in recent times and in the front line activities. It also guides the reader on the use of (monoenergetic) slow positron beams that are currently available to study surface/ near surface structural details of various advanced materials. In addition, the bound state of electron and positron (positronium) is touched upon along with various conjectures for harnessing such species and utility of such light quasi-stationary states have been included. A brief mention has been made on the application of positrons towards medical diagnostic aspects and its recent importance in an astrophysical context.

Abstract: Some personal remarks on scientific poetry in general are presented together with a little poetry collection, in particular about the positron and its fate.

Abstract: The changes of the positron lifetime and loss/recovery of shallow donor states in n-FZ-Si:P material irradiated at the room temperature with 15 MeV protons have been investigated in the course of isochronal annealing. Thermally stable point radiation defects which begin to anneal at ~ 300 C° – 340 C° have been revealed; they manifest themselves as deep donors. It is argued that these defects involve, at least, more than one vacancy and the impurity atom (s) of phosphorus.

Abstract: Temperature dependence on S(t), positron age dependent shape parameter of annihilation gamma-rays, in water was observed. S(t) at the ortho-Ps pick off annihilation time region were higher at higher temperatures. It is indicating that there are more reactions of ortho-Ps at higher temperature. Hence it was successfully indicated that the longest lifetime, i.e. ortho-Ps component, on positron annihilation lifetime spectra for water could be shorter at higher temperatures. The radical reactions, such as PsOH formation or ortho-Ps oxidation by hydroxyl radicals, are spin dependent reactions. The geminate pair of ortho-Ps and hydroxyl radical in water can give spin dependent reaction and the enhancement of S(t) with certain time interval, i.e. quantum beats, were expected. It was observed even for water at 11°C. It is probably indicating the hyperfine coupling constants of hydroxyl radicals in water.

Abstract: The effect of microstructure on transport properties of nano-polycrystalline La0.7Sr0.3MnO3-δ films, which were prepared by DC magnetron sputtering at various working pressures and followed by air annealing at 973K for 1h, has been investigated. The result indicates that the change of working pressure can change the microstructure, metal-insulator transition temperature (TIM) and peak resistance but does not change the transport mechanism for the films. The vacancy defects have an important effect on the transport properties of the films. Higher working pressure tends to decrease the density of vacancy defects. Low vacancy defects account for the high TIM and low resistance of the films. In the region of T > TIM, the charge carriers are moving in variable range hopping mode. The behavior of resistance decreasing with the increasing of temperature at low temperature (T<23K) can be explained on the basis of thermal excitation tunneling effect. The minimum resistance results from the combined effect of the tunneling effect and intrinsic metallic transport characteristic of the films.

Abstract: The electron momentum distribution and microstructure of centers incorporating a vacancy (vacancies) and a group-V-impurity atom (P, As, Sb, or Bi) in oxygen-lean n-Ge crystals have been investigated by means of the angular correlation of the annihilation radiation (ACAR). The vacancy-group-V-impurity atom complexes have been induced by irradiation with 60Co γ – rays at Tirr. ≈ 280K. A split between the intensities of the high-momentum emission of the annihilation radiation measured before and after n-p-conversion has been revealed for the complexes containing smaller ion cores (P, As) and the larger ones (Sb, Bi), respectively. After n-p-conversion the electron density decreases slightly (but markedly) around the positron localized at the vacancy complexes incorporating P, Sb, and Bi impurity atom. This decrease is accompanied by a lessening of intensity of the high-momentum emission of the annihilation radiation thus bringing in a direct evidence of a multi-vacancy structure of the vacancy-group-V-impurity atom complexes after n-p-conversion; the electron density was found to be affected by the localized deep acceptor states related to these centers. The relaxation inward open volume is a common feature which is pronounced for As-containing complexes. Subvalent band states are suggested to contribute the high-momentum annihilation most markedly. The electron momentum density around the positron is due to rather by the elemental specificity of the surrounding atoms than by changes of the electron-positron many-body interaction in the vacancy-group-V-impurity atom complexes.