Signature of the existence of the positronium molecule
Abstract
The positronium molecule (Ps2) has not been experimentally observed yet because its tiny (4.5 eV) binding energy cannot be detected when the molecule annihilates by emitting two photons with energy of 0.51 MeV each. It is shown in this paper that the electric dipole transition between the recently found L=1 excited-state and the L=0 ground-state with its characteristic photon energy of 4.94 eV is a clear signature of the existence of the positronium molecule and the possibility of its experimental observation is realistic. The probability of this transition is about 17 % of the total decay rate. An other Coulomb four-body system containing positron, HPs (the positronium hydride or hydrogen positride), is also included for comparison.
Turn this paper into a full lesson
ArcXiv compiles a staged curriculum from this paper: 8-12 lessons across beginner → advanced, synthesised section guides, visuals, flashcards, a quiz, exercises, and on-demand deep dives per section. Grounded in the abstract, never invented.