Helium bubbles in metals: Molecular-dynamics simulations and positron states

Abstract

By combining molecular-dynamics results for the aluminum-helium interface with positron-state calculations it is demonstrated that a positron is trapped at the surface of a He bubble in Al. The annihilation rate with Al electrons is similar to that at a clean surface, while simultaneously there is a significant annihilation rate with He electrons. This enables one to obtain a useful relation between the positron lifetime and helium densities in bubbles.