Relative rate constants for the formation of muonic radicals in liquid aromatic systems

The distribution of muon polarization between different radicals observed in neat p-di-fluorobenzene, aniline and bromobenzene and their binary mixtures with benzene has been measured and is interpreted in terms of relative rate constants for Mu addition. Mu shows the same intramolecular and intermolecular selectivity pattern as the heavier hydrogen isotopes, but its selectivity is smaller.Support by the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research, by the Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research (SIN), the Netherlands Organisation for the Advancement of Pure Research (Z.W.O.) and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (F.O.M.) are gratefully acknowledged.     

Rate constants for the reactions of cyclohexadienyl type radicals with quinones

Observation of substituted cyclohexadienyl type radicals by muon spin rotation in substituted benzene at different concentrations of added p-benzoquinone or duroquinone allows a selective determination of rate constants for the reaction of the radicals with oxidants. Methyl substitution has no effect, methoxy substitution enhances the rate constants for the ortho and para substituted isomers.Support by the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research, by the Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research (SIN), the Netherlands Organisation for the Advencement of Pure Research (Z.W.O.) and the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (F.O.M.) are gratefully acknowledged.     

Corrections to Z Hadronic Decays From Composite Model

Ne assume that the gauge bosons W and Z are composed of subconstituents. The generalized form for Hung-Sakurai model is obtained in the existence of the exciting states of W and Z bosons. It is shown that the predictioh for the Z hadronic width is smaller than that of standard model since the gauge coupling constant decreases in the composite model. One-loop contributions from the exciting states are also discussed.     

Discovery of temperature-dependent phenomena of muon-catalyzed fusion in solid deuterium and tritium mixtures

A systematic experimental study on muon-catalyzed fusion was conducted using a series of solid deuterium and tritium mixtures. A variety of conditions were investigated, i.e., tritium concentrations from 20% to 70%, and temperatures from 5 to 16 K. With decreasing temperature, we observed an unexpected decrease in the muon cycling rate (lambda(c)) and an increase in the muon loss probability (W). The origins of these observed changes were interpreted by the temperature-dependence in the dt mu formation process for lambda(c) and that in the muon reactivation process after muon-to-alpha sticking for W.     

Uncertainties in underground muon flux calculations

Influence of various theoretical and experimental uncertainties on results of underground muon flux calculations is estimated on the basis of a semi-analytical solution of muon spectrum transport equation. Status and accuracies of theoretical formulae for muon interaction cross sections and energy loss rate are discussed. A brief review of recent improvements in theoretical treatment of muon interactions is given. A necessity of a comprehensive verification of different muon transport codes is stressed.     

Proposal for X-ray spectroscopy of muonic atoms formed from implanted ions in solid hydrogen films

A new method is proposed to extend muonic atom X-ray spectroscopy to the study of nuclear beams, including radioactive beams, by stopping both muon and nuclear beams in a solid hydrogen film. The muon transfer reaction to higher Z nuclei is used then to form muonic atoms. This method would allow studies of the nuclear charge distribution of unstable atoms. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Measurements of the QED structure of the photon

The structure of both quasi-real and highly virtual photons is investigated using the reaction , proceeding via the exchange of two photons. The results are based on the complete OPAL dataset taken at centre-of-mass energies close to the mass of the Z boson. The QED structure function and the differential cross-section for quasi-real photons are obtained as functions of the fractional momentum x from the muon momentum which is carried by the struck muon in the quasi-real photon for values of ranging from 1.5 to 400 GeV. The differential cross-section for highly virtual photons is measured for GeV and GeV, where and are the negative values of the four-momentum squared of the two photons such that . Based on azimuthal correlations the QED structure functions and for quasi-real photons are determined for an average of 5.4 GeV. Received: 8 February 1999 / Published online: 28 September 1999     

Fission of muonic 232Th and 239Pu

The neutron emission is studied following the formation of muonic atoms of ²³²Th and ²³⁹Pu. Energy and time distributions are measured. Various processes which contribute to the measured spectra are considered. A collective resonance model of the muon capture is used to calculate the nuclear excitation function. The probability of the radiationless nuclear excitations and the influence of the presence of the bound atomic muon on the fission barrier are discussed. The existing data for the $\text{Γ}{}_{\mathrm{n}}\text{Γ}{}_{\mathrm{f}}$, are analysed. As a result of the analysis the rates of the prompt and delayed fission events (due to the radiationless mu-atomic transitions and the nuclear muon capture, respectively) are deduced from the experimental data to be 0.006/muon and 0.045/muon for ²³²Th and 0.10/muon and 0.49/muon for ²³⁹Pu, respectively. The increase of the fission barrier for muonic atoms is confirmed. The experimental neutron rates can be consistently explained only if it is assumed that in both nucleides the K_α radiationless transitions do not induce fission. The increase of the fission barrier for ²³⁹Pu is hence deduced to be not less than 1.2 MeV. The fate of the atomic muon after the nuclear fission is briefly discussed. Its influence on the interpretation of the present results is found to be small.     

Results from atmospheric neutrinos

With the announcement of new evidence for muon neutrino disappearance observed by the super-Kamiokande experiment, the more than a decade old atmospheric neutrino anomaly moved from a possible indication for neutrino oscillations to an apparently inescapable fact. The evidence is reviewed, and new indications are presented that the oscillations are probably between muon and tau neutrinos. Implications and future directions are discussed.     

Muon diffusion in Nb−H systems

We have studied the muon diffusion in various Nb−H_X systems with 0.75<x<0.95, with special attention to the concentrations x<0.9. For x>0.9 the muon linewidth as function of temperature has a smooth behaviour and the muon mobility is strongly correlated to the hydrogen diffusion in the beta phase. The activation energy for the μ⁺ diffusion is 160 meV, which is lower than that for protons. At hydrogen concentrations below 0.9, the muon diffusion behaviour is more complicated, and the influence of Nb−H phase transitions is evident. The implications for the local environment of the muon are discussed.     

CP violation in radiative Z decays

We propose to test the CP symmetry in the reactions Z → μ⁺μ^?γ and Z → τ⁺τ^?γ. The experimental analysis of angular correlations allows to determine a set of effective couplings: the electric and weak dipole moments of the muon and the tau lepton, and in particular chirality conserving 4-particle couplings, all of which can be induced by CP-violation in renormalizable theories of electroweak interactions beyond the Standard Model. We update an indirect bound on the weak dipole moment of the muon.     

Observation of heliospheric disturbances in the muon component of cosmic rays

The possibilities of using ground-based muon hodoscopes to study heliospheric disturbances are discussed. Mapping of the matrices of muon flux angular distributions recorded at the ground level in geocentric solar ecliptic coordinates with allowance for the asymptotic directions of primary protons of galactic cosmic rays makes it possible to observe the dynamics of heliospheric disturbances in the near-Earth space. Variations in some other characteristics of muon flux angular distributions are also analyzed.     

The positive muon as a probe in magnetism

The special features of the Muon Spin Rotation (μSR) method for investigation of magnetic materials are discussed. The positive muon is a probe which is very sensitive to small magnetic fields at the interstitial site where the muon comes to rest. Some of the basic aspects of μSR and examples of its application in magnetic studies are presented.     

Muonium acoustic resonance

Theoretical consideration is given to the effect of ultrasonic oscillations on the spin polarization of the positive muon of muonium present in matter. The resonant action of the periodic acoustic perturbation on the muonium hyperfine structure levels is shown to result in characteristic oscillations and to modify the muon spin precession pattern considerably. The possibilities for experimental detection of the muonium acoustic resonance are discussed     

Investigation of the PCR energy spectrum shape by the means of the local EAS muon density technique

The results of studying the primary cosmic radiation (PCR) flux in the energy range 10¹⁵–10¹⁸ eV at the NEVOD-DECOR experimental array using local muon density spectra are reported. The experimental distributions and the spectra obtained by simulation of EAS muon LDF using the CORSIKA code are compared. Possibilities of using a new method for analysis of muon bundle events on the basis of the primary energy estimator are discussed.     

Muon physics with the proposed pulsed lepton source at LAMPF

The proposed pulsed lepton source (PLS) at LAMPF is described, with special attention to the muon area. Important applications to tests of QED and muon capture physics, as well as to materials science, are discussed.     

Annihilation-in-flight of polarised positrons with polarised electrons as an analyser of the positron polarisation from muon decay

The use of annihilation-in-flight of arbitrarily polarised positrons with arbitrarily polarised electrons as an analyser for the positron polarisation from muon decay is discussed. Analysing powers for the longitudinal and the two transverse positron polarisation components are derived and algorithms for the simulation of polarised muon decay and of annihilation-in-flight are given. PACS 13.88.+e; 13.35.Bv; 12.60.-i; 11.30.Er; 02.70.Uu     

Multiple interactions of muons in BUST

Analysis of the experimental data for a long period of Baksan underground scintillation telescope (BUST) operation to search for very-high-energy muons is presented. The phenomenological parameters and the sensitivity of the method of multiple interactions, based on the concepts of the pair-meter technique, are discussed. The experimental distributions are compared with the results of calculations for a “conventional” muon spectrum, based on 3D simulation of muon passage through the telescope.     

Shifts of electronicKX-rays in muonic atoms

Energies of electronicKX-rays in muonic atoms were calculated for muons in various outer orbitals and for different numbers of electrons. Energy shifts were obtained with respect to characteristic X-rays belonging to nuclear charge (Z?1) and their possible observation is discussed. The shifts in muonic Sn as an example amount to 19, 37, and 59 eV for the muon in 5g, 6h, and 7i states respectively. However, shifts due to the number of electrons present and the electron vacancy distribution in theL-shell are significantly larger. Accurate measurements of theKX-ray energies would therefore enable us to learn more about the electronic structure during the muonic cascade.     

Muon diffusion in metals

The hopping rate W of the positive muon in metals is studied theoretecally. We consider four interactions: muon-electron interaction, linear as well as quadratic muon-lattice interactions and inhomogeneous broadening of the muon levels due to imperfections. The W-vs-T curve consists of four regions. The highest-T region, where the small polaron theory is applicable, is followed by a minimum, below which the Kagan-Klinger damping may be dominant. Then, the damping due to metallic electrons dominates and the hopping rate obeys a power law of a negative power. When kT is smaller than the inhomogeneous broadening, the hopping rate obeys another power law of a positive power, as Sugimoto has shown. We analyze experimental data on muon diffusion in Cu, Al and Fe.