Ortho-para spin conversion of Ps by paramagnetic O2 dissolved in organic compounds

Abstract

Abstract The o-Ps mean lifetime value in liquids decreases in the presence of the paramagnetic oxygen molecules via the ortho-para conversion process. This effect was observed for several organic samples composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms differing in the arrangement of atoms forming the molecule, e.g. n-alkanes, alcohols, branched isomer of alkane, cycloalkane. The usually observed tendency of the o-Ps lifetime value to be an increasing function of temperature (in the case of measurements performed in vacuum) changes to a decreasing one in the presence of O2 dissolved in the sample. The difference between the o-Ps lifetimes measured in samples in vacuum and in the presence of O2 increases with the distance from the melting point. The ortho-para constant rate λconv was estimated to be ~130 μs−1 at 300 K for three compounds investigated.