Muon capture by 3He nuclei followed by proton and deuteron production

The paper describes an experiment aimed at studying muon capture by ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ nuclei in pure ${}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ and $\mathrm{D}_2 + {}^{3}\mathrm{He}$ mixtures at various densities. Energy distributions of protons and deuterons produced via $\mu^-+{}^{3}\mathrm{He}\to p+n+n + \nu_{\mu }$ and $\mu^-+{}^{3} \mathrm{He} \to d+n + \nu_{\mu}$ are measured for the energy intervals $10 - 49$ MeV and $13 - 31$ MeV, respectively. Muon capture rates, $\lambda_\mathrm{cap}^p (\Delta E_p)$ and $\lambda_\mathrm{cap}^d (\Delta E_d)$ are obtained using two different analysis methods. The least--squares methods gives $\lambda_\mathrm{cap}^p = (36.7\pm 1.2) {s}^{- 1}$, $\lambda_\mathrm{cap}^d = (21.3 \pm 1.6) {s}^{- 1}$. The Bayes theorem gives $\lambda_\mathrm{cap}^p = (36.8 \pm 0.8) {s}^{- 1}$, $\lambda_\mathrm{cap}^d = (21.9 \pm 0.6) {s}^{- 1}$. The experimental differential capture rates, $d\lambda_\mathrm{cap}^p (E_p) / dE_p$ and $d\lambda_\mathrm{cap}^d (E_d) / dE_d$, are compared with theoretical calculations performed using the plane--wave impulse approximation (PWIA) with the realistic NN interaction Bonn B potential. Extrapolation to the full energy range yields total proton and deuteron capture rates in good agreement with former results.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in PR

Muon capture by ³He nuclei followed by proton and deuteron production

The paper describes an experiment aimed at studying muon capture by He nuclei in pure ³He and D₂+³He mixtures at various densities. Energy distributions of protons and deuterons produced via µ₋+³He-->p + n + n + νµ and µ₋+³He-->d + n + νµ are measured for the energy intervals 10–49 MeV and 13–31 MeV, respectively. Muon capture rates lambdacapp(ΔEp) and lambdacapd(ΔEd) are obtained using two different analysis methods. The least-squares methods give lambdacapp = (36.7±1.2) s–1, lambdacapd = (21.3±1.6) s–1. The Bayes theorem gives lambdacapp = (36.8±0.8) s–1, lambdacapd = (21.9±0.6) s–1. The experimental differential capture rates, dlambdacapp(Ep)/dEp and dlambdacapd(Ed)/dEd, are compared with theoretical calculations performed using the plane-wave impulse approximation with the realistic nearest-neighbor interaction Bonn B potential. Extrapolation to the full energy range yields total proton and deuteron capture rates in good agreement with former result

Experimental study of µ-atomic and µ-molecular processes in pure helium and deuterium-helium mixtures

We present experimental results of µ-atomic and µ-molecular processes induced by negative muons in pure helium and helium-deuterium mixtures. The experiment was performed at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland). We measured relative intensities of muonic x-ray K series transitions in (µ3,4He)* atoms in pure helium as well as in helium-deuterium mixtures. The dµ³He radiative decay probabilities for two different helium densities in D2+³He mixture were also determined. Finally, the qHe1s probability for a dµ atom formed in an excited state to reach the ground state was measured and compared with theoretical calculations using a simple cascade model