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Distorted Wave Calculations The positron-atom interaction is of physical interest due to the .511 MeV gamma radiation observed in the direction of our galactic centre. It was first observed in 1970 and again in 1984 after four years absence (H. Gehrels, NASA Conference Proceedings on Annihilation in Gases and Galaxies, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center). This high-energy spectral line is indicative of electron-positron annihilation. The gamma ray emission suggests that an intense source of positrons is near or at the centre of our galaxy. This strong evidence points to a massive black hole. Additional observation supporting a diffuse component came from the gamma ray instruments on NASA's Solar Maximum Mission. I was motivated to study the above antimatter-matter collision problem, because the first sophisticated laboratory experiment of its kind (in Germany, at the University of Bielefeld) resulted in values much higher than simple theory could account for. My work was a quantum mechanical simulation of the experiment. The essential feature of my model was a novel technique for realistically modeling the three charged particles, after the atom was broken apart. View Abstract |
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