Puzzling positron peaks in heavy-ion collisions

Characteristic features of positron creation in collisions of very heavy ions are depicted. First continuum solutions of the two-centre Dirac equation are presented. Calculated e+-production probabilities are compared with experimental data. The observation of puzzling peak structures in positron spectra is illuminated. Their relationship with the spontaneous positron emission in overcritical fields and, especially, with the hypothesis of a "new particle creation" is investigated. The ability of Δ-electrons and positrons to carry precise informations on the time-scale of nuclear reactions in deepinelastic and intermediate-energy collisions is demonstrated. As an outlook we discuss positron production in crossed beams of bare uranium nuclei. © IOP Publishing Ltd.

Duke Scholars

Author Berndt Mueller Physics