Abstract
Doppler-broadened positron annihilation spectroscopy has been employed to study the electron momentum density in aluminum. The Compton profile measurements provide direct information about the valence electron distribution and its deviation from the free-electron model.
Key Results
The experimental Compton profiles show good agreement with theoretical calculations based on the augmented plane wave method. Small but significant deviations from the free-electron sphere are observed, reflecting the influence of the periodic potential on the electron momentum distribution.