Potential energy curves for the interaction of a low-energy positron with matter: The case He+e+

Abstract

In this introductory exploration of the title theme, we treat a positron as a light nucleus and work within the quasi-molecule approximation to obtain, for the first time, adiabatic potential energy curves for its scattering by the He atom. We then show that different elastic and inelastic processes that contribute to the total scattering cross section can be rationalized in molecular terms as dissociation and non-adiabatic couplings. Particularly, some new insights on positronium yielding are presented.