Positronium formation in dihydroxybenzenes

Abstract

Lifetime spectra of positrons in solid dihydroxybenzenes have been investigated over a wide range of temperatures. The variation of Ps formation probability with temperature and relative permittivity is an argument in favour of spur model concepts in the description of Ps formation in solids. An attempt to estimate the average excess electron–positron distance in the spur is undertaken. Detailed analysis of the e ⁺ lifetime spectrum in hydroquinone indicates that the long-lived part of that spectrum can be a continuous distribution of lifetimes, not a discrete component.