0000000000231110
AUTHOR
R. Ley
Spectroscopy of excited state positronium
Electric dipole transitions in the microwave range have been induced between the fine-structure levels of positronium in the excited staten=2. As an indication of the transitions, we used the increase in Lyman-α radiation when the metastable 23S1-level is depopulated. The results for the transitions 23S1→23P0,1,2 areΝ 0=18499.65±1.20±4.00 MHz,Ν 1=13012.42 ±0.65±1.54 MHz andΝ 2=8624.38±0.54±1.40 MHz. The first error is statistical and the second systematic. The precision of the present measurement has improved by a factor of 3, compared to previous data. Recent bound state QED-calculations have been extended to the orderR t8 α 4lnα −1. The not yet completely calculated orderR t8 α 4 is estim…
Temperature dependence of slow-positron production and of positronium formation on untreated surfaces
Low-energy positron emission from tungsten moderators, placed at a electron accelerator beam stop slows down with increasing moderator temperature. Efficient positronium formation is reported on untreated and unoriented metal surfaces at higher target temperatures.
Intense source of slow positrons from pulsed electron accelerators
A pulsed LINAC is used for pair production in a tantalum target of 2.5 radiation lengths in an energy range from 80 to 260 MeV. Several well-annealed tungsten vanes are placed immediately behind the target and thermalize a small fraction of the fast positrons. The slow positrons are extracted from the target region and magnetically guided over a distance of 17 m to the detector at the end of an S-shaped solenoid. Two Nal detectors with well-known detection efficiency are used to register the 511 keV annihilationγ-rays. To reduce pile-up effects 50 mm of Pb were placed in front of the detectors. At an average electron current of 1 μA we could detect about 107 slow positrons per second. The p…
Positronium: Theory Versus Experiment
We have collected all known theoretical contributions to the energy levels of positronium and present a complete listing for the states n = 1, 2 and 3. We give the explicit dependence of the energy levels on the quantum numbers n, L, S and J up to the order R∞α3. In the next higher order R∞α4 only the contributions to S- and P-states are completely known. The annihilation rates of para- and ortho-positronium are completely listed up to the orders R∞α5 and R∞α6, respectively. We compare calculated values of energy levels and annihilation rates with experimentally observed quantities.
The g-factor of the Electron Bound in Hydrogen-like Ions
The experimental determination of the magnetic moment (g-factor) of the electron bound in hydrogen-like ions represents a clean test of Quantum Electrodynamics, because it is not very sensitive to nuclear structure effects. Experimental data on the g-factor of the bound electron are available only for the hydrogen atom and the 4He+-ion. In this paper we present the first result for the g-factor of hydrogen-like carbon (12C5+). The experimental accuracy is high enough to verify the relativistic contribution to the g-factor on the 10-3 level.
Atomic physics of positronium with intense slow positron beams
Abstract The theory of quantum electrodynamics has presented a complete calculation of the energy levels of positronium (Ps, e + e − ) up to the order R ∞ α 4 . The annihilation rates for para -Ps (1 1 S 0 ) and ortho -Ps (1 1 S 1 ) are completely known up to the order R ∞ α 5 and R ∞ α 6 , respectively. The present experimental uncertainty for spectroscopic results is 5–100 times larger than the theoretical uncertainty. For the annihilation rates the experimental situation is even worse. The theoretical predictions have presently reached a level of precision which is a challenge to experimentalists! The experimental uncertainty for the fine- and hyperfine transitions in the Ps atom is dete…
Measurement of the gj factor of hydrogenic ions: a sensitive test of bound state QED
Thegj factor measurement of hydrogenic ions in the 1s ground state is with an expected accuracy of 10−7 a sensitive test of bound state QED. We expect to determine the deviations from the free electron value, caused by relativistic and radiative corrections, up to the orderα/4π(Zα)2 with an accuracy of 1%. As a first step, light ions like C5+ will be investigated. Later on, heavier hydrogenic ions up to U91+ will be examined using the accelerator facilities at GSI in Darmstadt.
Positronium spectroscopy at a LINAC-based slow positron source
The slow positron facility TEPOS at the Giessen electron LINAC (36 MeV, 120 µA) has been used to produce an intense beam of moderated positrons which is magnetically guided over a distance of 9 m. At a transportation energy of 100 eV about 106 slow e+/s could be extracted out of the magnetic field (0.01 T) and have been electrostatically focussed inside a microwave guide. A small fraction of the positrons form positronium in the excited staten=2. The spontaneous emission of Lyman-α photons (λ=243 nm) from the 2P-states is observed by a photomultiplier. Microwave induced fine-structure transitions 23S1©23P2,1,0 have been observed at 8617(2), 13010(3) and 18494(2) MHz by an increase of the Ly…
Electro-produced slow positrons
During the last 6 years it has been demonstrated that electro-produced intense beams of slow positrons are possible. High energy electrons from an accelerator generate bremsstrahlung in a thick conversion target of high element number Z. The photons produce electronpositron pairs and a small fraction of the positrons may be moderated to thermal energies. A review is given of the existing slow positron beam lines using this technique. At accelerator energies of 100 MeV total conversion efficiencies of several slow positrons per 106 primary electrons have been obtained, resulting in average intensities of several 109 slow positrons per second or more than 105 slow positrons in pulses having a…