Interaction of positronium atoms, with paramagnetic molecules, measured by perturbed angular distribution in 3γ annihilation decay

Positronium in the triplet spin state (S = 1) decays by 3γ annihilation having a life time of about 140 ns in vacuum. Positronium annihilation is affected by magnetic fields which mix the M = 0 state of ortho-positronium with the M = 0 state of para-positronium. The mixing fraction depends on the magnetic field intensity and causes quantum beats in the time distribution of γ annihilation decay. This effect was predicted by Barishevsky et al. [V.G. Barishevsky, O.N. Metelitsa, V.V. Tikhomirov, J. Phys. B Atom. Mol. Opt. Phys. 22 (1989) 2835]. The time differential perturbed angular correlation method (TDPAC), combined with long-lived positron life time spectroscopy (PLTS), has been used to observe these quantum beats. It is found that the characteristics of the annihilation time distribution are not influenced by the presence of diamagnetic species such as Ar, N₂ and H₂ but are affected by the presence of the paramagnetic O₂ molecule. Our results are encouraging in developing a new method for investigating magnetic fields on an atomic scale.