Abstract. The configuration interaction (CI) method is applied to the study of the positron-calcium system. A large basis CI investigation shows that positronic calcium, e⁺Ca, is stable with a binding energy of 0.220 eV and an annihilation rate of 0.64×10⁹ s^-1. The stability of e⁺Ca suggests that the heavier group II elements could also bind a positron, and positron binding to strontium can be regarded as highly likely. The possibility of experimental detection is discussed.

Print publication: Issue 9 (14 May 2000)
Received 19 January 2000, in final form 3 March 2000