The book begins with a brief historical introduction and an overview of how positron beams are generated and transported. A description of the fate of slow positrons in gaseous and condensed matter, with reference to many of the fundamental measurements made possible by the advent of positron beams, is followed by a discussion on applications in the study of solid surfaces, defect profiling in subsurface regions, interfaces and thin films, and the probing of bulk properties in novel ways. The book ends with a look at the future, considering the prospects for intense positron beams and their potential for further research.

Contents:

• Introduction: A Brief History of Positron Beams (P G Coleman)
• The Generation and Transport of Positron Beams (P G Coleman)
• Atomic and Molecular Physics with Positrons and Positronium (G Laricchia & M Charlton)
• The Fate of Slow Positrons in Condensed Matter (R M Nieminen)
• Surface Science with Positrons (A H Weiss & P G Coleman)
• Depth-Profiling of Subsurface Regions, Interfaces and Thin Films (A Van Veen et al.)
• Positron Microscopes and Microprobes (P G Coleman)
• MeV Positron Beams (H Stoll)
• Spin–Polarized Positron Beams in Condensed–Matter Studies (J Major)
• The Future: Intense Beams (R H Howell)