Relationship between enhanced positronium formation and enhanced positron trapping in polymers at low temperature

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy is used for investigation of low-density polyethylene and ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymers of 1.45, 3.0, and 5.4 mole% of methyl methacrylate. The lifetime spectra are collected at 30 K, one by one, as a function of elapsed time. In the computer analysis a new theoretical model is developed, which enables separating the annihilation from positron free state, its trapped state and bound state in positronium. The positron trapping rate mu and the enhanced positronium formation rate kappa are determined. The calculated values of mu and kappa turned out to be linearly correlated. This correlation presumably originates from an influence of trapped electrons on the trapping of positrons. The dependences of kappa on measurement time are determined for low-density polyethylene and ethylene-methyl methacrylate of different methyl methacrylate content. A theoretical model describing quantitatively the dependences is proposed. The model considers the processes of electron-ion recombination, electron trapping, and electron scavenging by dipolar carbonyl groups supplied by methyl methacrylate additives.