Polarization of positronium in amorphous polar polymers: a case study.

The features of positronium in an amorphous copolymer (polyvinyl acetate-crotonic acid) in a range of temperatures including the glass transition were investigated by means of positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. In particular, para-positronium lifetime was found to be longer than in a vacuum and to decrease with the temperature. This was attributed to the electron density at the positron (contact density), which is lower than in vacuo due to the presence of polar groups in the copolymer. A three quantum yield experiment confirmed the lifetime results.