Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Positrons — an alternative probe to electron scattering

  • Fundamental Processes in the Gas Phase
  • Published:
The European Physical Journal D - Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Plasma Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract.

Interaction of positrons with atoms and molecules differs from electron interaction due to the difference in polarity of the charge. This makes positrons an alternative tool to study atomic and molecular structure. Recent measurements of the total cross-sections for positron scattering at low energies on He, Ar, H2, N2, C6H6, C6H12, C6H7N carried out at Trento University [Karwasz et al., Acta Phys. Pol. 127, 666 (2005)] are discussed and compared to electron scattering results. All measured total cross-sections exhibit an increase with decreasing positron energy in the limit of zero energy; H2, N2, Ar, show regions of constant cross-section which are a few eV-wide, characteristic of scattering on a hard-sphere potential. Helium shows two resonant structures much below the positronium formation threshold. They may be attributed to virtual positronium formation. In conclusion, positron scattering is complementary to electron scattering. The total cross-sections do not show Ramsuaer minima but constant values, and new resonances appear.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • C. Ramsauer, Ann. Phys. (Leipzig) 66, 546 (1921)

    Google Scholar 

  • J. Holtsmark, Z. Phys. 44, 437 (1929)

    Google Scholar 

  • G.J. Schulz, Phys. Rev. Lett. 10, 104 (1963)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G.J. Schulz, Phys. Rev. 125, 229 (1962)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Zubek, B. Mielewska, J. Channing, G.C. King, F.H. Read, J. Phys. B 32, 1351 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  • B.K. Elza, T.L. Gibson, M.A. Morrison, B.C. Saha, J. Phys. B 22, 113 (1989)

    Google Scholar 

  • W.E. Kauppila, T.S. Stein, Adv. At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 26, 1 (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Kimura, O. Sueoka, A. Hamada, Y. Itikawa, Adv. Chem. Phys. 111, 537 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • W.E. Kauppila, T.S. Stein, G. Jesion, Phys. Rev. Lett. 36, 580 (1976)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • K.R. Hoffman, M.S. Dababneh, Y.-F. Hsieh, W.E. Kauppila, V. Pol, J.H. Smart, T.S. Stein, Phys. Rev. A 25, 1393 (1982)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O. Sueoka, S. Mori, J. Phys. B 19, 4035 (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  • O. Sueoka, J. Phys. B 21, L631 (1988)

  • C. Makochekanwa, O. Sueoka, M. Kimura, Phys. Rev. A 68, 32707-1 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Kimura, C. Makochekanwa, O. Sueoka, J. Phys. B 37, 1461 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  • J.P. Sullivan, S.J. Gilbert, J.P. Marler, L.D. Barnes, S.J. Buckman, C.M. Surko, Nucl. Instr. Meth. B 192, 3 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J.P. Sullivan, S.J. Gilbert, S.J. Buckman, C.M. Surko, J. Phys. B 34, L467 (2001)

  • G. Karwasz, R.S. Brusa, M. Barozzi, A. Zecca, Nucl. Instr. Meth. B 171, 178 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G.P. Karwasz, M. Barozzi, R.S. Brusa, A. Zecca, Nucl. Instr. Meth. B 192, 157 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G.P. Karwasz, R.S. Brusa, A. Piazza, A. Zecca, Phys. Rev. A 59, 1341 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • E. Rajch, A. Zecca, R.S. Brusa, S. Mariazzi, G.P. Karwasz, Int. Soc. Opt. Engineer. Proc. SPIE 5258, 190 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • O. Sueoka, S. Mori, J. Phys. Soc. Jap. 53, 2491 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • T. Mizogawa, Y. Nakayama, T. Kawaratami, M. Tosaki, Phys. Rev. A 31, 2171 (1985)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • G. Amarenda, K.F. Canter, D.C. Schoepf, J. Appl. Phys. 80, 4660 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G.P. Karwasz, D.P. Pliszka, R.S. Brusa, Phys. Rev. A (submitted)

  • G.P. Karwasz, D.P. Pliszka, A. Zecca, R.S. Brusa, Nucl. Instr. Meth. B (in press)

  • T.F. O’Malley, Phys. Rev. 130, 1020 (1963)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S.J. Buckman, J. Mitroy, J. Phys. B 22, 1365 (1989)

    Google Scholar 

  • F.A. Gianturco, A. Jain, J.A Rodriguez-Ruiz, Phys. Rev. A 48, 4321 (1993)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • R.P. McEachran, A.G. Ryman, A.D. Stauffer, J. Phys. B 12, 1031 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • H. Nakanishi, D.M. Schrader, Phys. Rev. A 34, 1823 (1986)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O. Sueoka, A. Hamada, J. Phys. Soc. Jap. 62, 2669 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Charlton, T.C. Griffith, G.R. Heyland, G.L. Wright, J. Phys. B 16, 323 (1983)

    Google Scholar 

  • C.R.C. de Carvalho, M.T. do N. Varela, M.A.P. Lima, E.P. da Silva, J.S.E. Germano, Nucl. Instr. Meth. B 171, 33 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • F.A. Gianturco, P. Paioletti, J.A. Rodriguez-Ruiz, Z. Phys. D 36, 51 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Danby, J. Tennyson, J. Phys. B 24, 3517 (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  • E.A.G. Armour, M. Plummer, J. Phys. B 24, 4463 (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  • G.P. Karwasz , D. Pliszka, R.S. Brusa, C. Perazzolli, Acta Phys. Pol. 107, 666 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Hamada, O. Sueoka, Appl. Surf. Sci. 85, 64 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O. Sueoka, S. Mori, J. Phys. B 22, 963 (1989)

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Occhigrossi, F.A. Gianturco, J. Phys. B 36, 1383 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • 5th FAMO Workshop on Atomic, Molecular Physics and Optics, Proc. SPIE 5849, 242 (2005), edited by D. Pliszka, R.S. Brusa, G.P. Karwasz, Jurata, Poland, 17-19 September 2004 (The International Society for Optical Engineering, in press)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • W.E. Kauppila, T.S. Stein, G. Jesion, Phys. Rev. Lett. 36, 580 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • M.S. Dababneh, W.E. Kauppila, J.P. Downinh, F. Lapierriere, V. Pol, J.H. Smart, T.S. Stein, Phys. Rev. A 22, 1872 (1980)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M.S. Dababneh, Y.-F. Hsieh, W.E. Kauppila, C.K. Kwan, S.J. Smith, T.S. Stein, M.N. Uddin, Phys. Rev. A 38, 1207 (1988)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • A. Zecca, G.P. Karwasz, R.S. Brusa, Riv. Nuovo Cimen. 19(3), 1 (1996); G.P. Karwasz, A. Zecca, R.S. Brusa, Riv. Nuovo Cim. 24(1), 1 (2001); G.P. Karwasz, A. Zecca, R.S. Brusa, Riv. Nuovo Cim. 24(4), 1 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Dushman, J.M. Lafferty, Scientific Foundations of Vacuum Technique (J. Wiley & Sons, New York, 1962)

  • D.A. Przybyla, W. Addo-Asah, W.E. Kauppila, C.K. Kwan, T.S. Stein, Phys. Rev. 60, 350 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  • N.F. Mott, H.S.W. Massey, Theory of Atomic Colissions (Clarendon, Oxford, 1965)

  • J. Itatani, J. Levesue, D. Zeidler, Hiromichi Niikura, H. Pépin, J.C. Kieffer, P.B. Korkum, D.M. Villeneuve, Nature 432, 867 (2004)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • F.J. de Heer, M.R.C. McDowell, R.W. Wagenaar, J. Phys. B 10, 1945 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • W.E. Kauppila, T.S. Stein, J.H. Smart, M.S. Dababneh, Y. K. Ho, J. P. Downing, V. Pol, Phys. Rev. A 24, 725 (1981)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J.P. Marler, J.P. Sullivan, C.M. Surko, Phys. Rev. A 71, 022701 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jun Xu, L.D Hulett Jr, T.A. Lewis, D.L. Donohue, S.A. McLuckey, G.L. Glish, Phys. Rev. A 47, 1023 (1993)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • W.E. Kauppila, E.G. Miller, H.F.M. Mohamed, K. Pipinos, T.S. Stein, E. Surdutovich, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 113401 (2004)

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • T.S. Stein, W.E. Kauppila, V. Pol, J.H. Smart, G. Jesion, Phys. Rev. A 17, 1600 (1978)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J.W. Humberston, J. Phys. B 11, L343 (1978); P. Van Reeth, J.W. Humberston, Nucl. Instr. Meth. B 171, 106 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  • D. De Fazio, F.A. Gianturco, J.A. Rodriguez-Ruiz, K.T. Tang, J.P. Toennies, J.Phys. B 27, 303 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  • G.F. Gribakin, W.A. King, J. Phys. B 27, 2639 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  • K. Strasburger, private communication

  • K. Strasburger, J. Phys. B 37, 2211 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  • G.P. Karwasz, A. Zecca, R.S. Brusa, in: Photon and Electron Interaction, with Atoms, Molecules and Ions, Chapter VI.1 Electron Scattering with Molecules. Total, Landolt-Börstein New Series (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2003), Volume I/17, pp. 6.1-6.51

  • J.E. Sienkiewicz, W.E. Baylis, J. Phys. B 20, 5145 (1987)

    Google Scholar 

  • R.E. Kennerly, Phys. Rev. A 21, 1876 (1980)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. Charlton, G. Laricchia, T.C. Griffith, G.L. Wright, G.R. Heyland, J. Phys. B 17, 4945 (1984)

    Google Scholar 

  • G. Sinapius, W. Raith, W.G. Wilson, J. Phys. B 13, 4079 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  • P.G. Coleman, J.D. McNutt, L.M. Diana, J.T. Hutton, Phys. Rev. A 22, 2290 (1980)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • R.J. Gulley, S.L. Lunt, J.P. Ziesel, D. Field, J. Phys. B 31, 2735 (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Deuring, K. Floeder, D. Fromme, W. Raith, A. Schwab, G. Sinapius, P.W. Zitzewitz, J. Krug, J. Phys. B 16, (1983) 1633

    Google Scholar 

  • P.G. Coleman, J.D. McNutt, L.M. Diana, J.R. Burciaga, Phys. Rev. A 20, 145 (1979)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G.J. Schulz, Rev. Mod. Phys. 45, 378 (1973)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • G. Garcìa, F. Arqueros, J. Campos, J. Phys. B 19, 3777 (1986)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, Trento University, 38050, Povo, Italy

    G. P. Karwasz

Authors
  1. G. P. Karwasz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. P. Karwasz.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Karwasz, G. Positrons — an alternative probe to electron scattering. Eur. Phys. J. D 35, 267–278 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2005-00225-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2005-00225-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation