chemosensors Article Collision of a Positron with the Capture of an Electron from Lithium and the Effect of a Magnetic Field on the Particles Balance Elena V. Orlenko 1,* , Alexandr V. Evstafev 1 and Fedor E. Orlenko 2 1 Theoretical Physics Department, Institute of Physics, Nanotechnology and Telecommunication, Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, 195251 St. Petersburg, Russia;
[email protected] 2 Scientific and Educational Center for Biophysical Research in the Field of Pharmaceuticals, Saint Petersburg State Chemical Pharmaceutical University (SPCPA), 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +7-911-762-7228 Abstract: The processes of scattering slow positrons with the possible formation of positronium play an important role in the diagnosis of both composite materials, including semiconductor materials, and for the analysis of images obtained by positron tomography of living tissues. In this paper, we consider the processes of scattering positrons with the capture of an electron and the formation of positronium. When calculating the cross-section for the capture reaction, exchange effects caused by the rearrangement of electrons between colliding particles are taken into account. Comparison of the results of calculating the cross-section with a similar problem of electron capture by a proton showed that the mass effect is important in such a collision process. The loss of an electron by a lithium atom is more effective when it collides with a positron than with a proton or alpha particles. The dynamic equilibrium of the formation of positronium in the presence of a strong magnetic Citation: Orlenko, E.V.; Evstafev, A.V.; field is considered.