Electron-Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (EPALS) at Union College

Electron-Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (EPALS) is an analytical method for characterizing physical atomic scale defects in materials. The goal of this project is to expand on the use of this spectroscopy method in order to characterize defects in crystalline materials and develop a standard method and procedure for such a task. In order to accomplish this, I procured the necessary electronics and radioactive material source. This spring, I plan to spend time setting up and performing preliminary experiments in order to ensure the effectiveness of this analytical method. This method will ideally be able to provide insight into the characteristics of crystalline defects as it pertains to radioactive diffusion, which can aid in radioactive waste containment and put constraints on radiometric dating systems.