Positronium Decay into a Photon and Neutrinos

• Author / Creator

  Pokraka, Andrzej

• We determine the rates, photon energy and angular distributions of positronium decays into a photon and a neutrino-antineutrino pair, $\text{Ps} \to \gamma \nu\ell \bar\nu\ell$. We find that both positronium spin states have access to this decay channel, contrary to a previously published result. The low-energy tails of the spectra are shown to be sensitive to binding effects in positronium and agree with Low's theorem. Additionally, we find a connection between the behaviour of the soft photon spectrum in both $\text{o-Ps} \to \gamma \nu\ell \bar\nu\ell$ and $\text{o-Ps} \to 3\gamma$ decays, and the Stark effect.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • positronium
  • bound state decay
  • NREFT
  • Low's theorem
  • charge conjugation
  • C-Violation

• Graduation date

  Fall 2017

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3MC8RZ3C

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.