Experimental Evidence for Spin-Orbit Interactions in Positronium-Xe Collisions

Haruo Saito and Toshio Hyodo
Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 253402 – Published 19 December 2006

Abstract

Spin-orbit interaction of positronium (Ps) with the surrounding atoms, predicted by Mitroy and Novikov [Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 183202 (2003)], has been detected experimentally. We have found that the lifetime of the magnetically unperturbed ortho-Ps in Xe gas of 1 atm decreases significantly when a magnetic field of 1.0 T is applied. This decrease is attributed to the Ps spin conversion caused by spin-orbit interaction during Ps-Xe collision. The annihilation cross section of ortho-Ps due to this interaction has been determined to be 3 times as large as that expected by Mitroy and Novikov.

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  • Received 22 March 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.253402

©2006 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Haruo Saito* and Toshio Hyodo

  • Institute of Physics, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, 3-8-1, Komaba, Meguru-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan

  • *Electronic address: saitou@youshi.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp

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Issue

Vol. 97, Iss. 25 — 22 December 2006

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