Computational analysis of positron experiments

Abstract

A number of applications of the calculational scheme developed by Puska and Nieminen (1982-3) are reported and the predictive power of the scheme is substantiated. Effects on positron parameters of relaxation and of N or H impurities in vacancies in Mo are calculated and employed to analyse recent experiments. Predictions pertaining to H decoration of vacancies in Al and Ni suggest the use of positron lifetime studies of these systems. Positron responses to submicroscopic vacancy clusters decorated with Kr and to large Kr bubbles in Cu are calculated and used to analyse recent experiments. To accomplish this the scheme is generalised to incorporate crystals of inert gas. In turn this makes it possible to estimate the average enhancement factors of the inert-gas crystals. The cases considered in this paper indicate that the potential of the positron techniques can be enhanced further by computational analysis.