Recent progress in annihilation related studies by slow positrons

The field of slow-positron physics has expanded significantly in the last few years to include particles and atomic physics but has been most extensive in those associated with condensed matter or material science. This can primarily be attributed to the development of more efficient moderators. These moderators have been associated with both laboratory- and facility-based beams. In this paper I will focus only on the material-science aspects however. Positron can and are being used to examine all of the various fields. I feel the contribution in all these areas will be significant. I will primarily discuss those developments that have been developed in the area of interface science; a field that has both scientific and technological importance and has a limited number of nondestructive probes used in studying a buried interface. Interfaces are technologically important for applications such as electrical properties and mechanical properties. Such applications help to motivate the fundamental research of interface properties and dynamics, which is necessary to develop the basic understanding of new types of interfaces. The role of the interface is also important since it limited length of this paper. Results will be presented in interface studies that have occurred in the last year, including some unpublished results obtained at Brookhaven over the past few months. This field is in the early stages and I expect that the full utilization of this relatively new probe can be anticipated in the next few years. 17 refs., 7 figs