The DEAR case

The scientific program and the experimental setup of the DEAR (DAΦNE Exotic Atom Research) experiment at the new φ-factory DAΦNE of Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati are described. The objective of DEAR is to perform a 1% measurement of the K _α line shift due to the strong interaction in kaonic hydrogen. A measurement will also be performed on kaonic deuterium for the first time. The aim is to investigate low-energy physics and to understand SU(3) chiral symmetry breaking. The setup takes advantage of the unique features of the “kaon beam” from the φ decay in DAΦNE; of a low-temperature pressurized gaseous target; and of a detector for soft X-rays – the Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) – characterized by a very good energy (and spatial) resolution and by an unprecedented background rejection capability. The DEAR experiment represents a major effort in the study of low energy interactions and has the potential to produce a breakthrough in the field. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of a kaonic meson on the ground-state properties of nuclei

The effects of an additional \begin{document}$K^-$\end{document} meson on the ground-state properties of nuclei are investigated within an axially-deformed Skyrme-Hartree-Fock approach combined with a Skyrme-type kaon-nucleon interaction. The \begin{document}$K^-$\end{document} meson increases the binding energies of all nuclei, whereas it affects deformations only for light nuclei without shell closure. The nucleon drip lines are modified due to the strongly attractive \begin{document}$K^-N$\end{document} interaction. This is attributed to the behavior of the highest-occupied nucleon single-particle levels near the drip lines, which is analyzed in detail.     

Differential elastic cross-sections of excited exotic hydrogen atoms

Differential cross-sections for the elastic scattering of excited exotic hydrogen atoms by hydrogenic atoms are calculated for the first time. The calculations are performed for exotic atoms (μ a,π a; a=p,d,t) in the states with the principal quantum numbers n=2-10 at relative motion energies E=0.001-15 eV and at scattering angles ϑ =0–180^00B0;. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

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.     

Coulomb deexcitation and quasi-resonant charge exchange revisited

The processes of Coulomb deexcitation and quasi-resonant charge exchange have been considered in the framework of the asymptotic theory of the non-adiabatic transitions. The approach used is scrutinized and improved in the light of recent critical statements. The unambiguous agreement between different calculations for energies ∈ > 0.5 eV proves the approximation used to be valid. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Total and transport elastic cross-sections for excited muonic and pionic hydrogen atoms

The results of an experiment on muon catalyzed dd-fussion in HD gas are presented. The experiment was performed at the muon beam of PSI using a high-pressure ionization chamber filled with pure HD-gas of low D₂ concentration on the level 1%, at temperatures 50, 150 and 300 K. The non-resonant character of ddμ-molecule formation on HD molecules was confirmed by measuring the ratio of yields of the two ddμ-fusion channels, R=Y(³He,n)/Y(³H,p), which proved to be close to unity. The ddμ formation rate was found to vary from λ_ddμ-HD=0.05· 10⁶ s^-1 at T=50 K to λ_ddμ-HD=0.12· 10⁶ s^-1 at T=300 K, in agreement with the theoretical prediction. A prominent peak at t<60 ns was observed in the time spectrum of fusion neutrons indicating a resonant contribution of ddμ formation from epithermal dμ atoms. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Development Towards Muonic Atom Formation with Unstable Nuclei

We report on the latest development of a new method for extending muonic atom X-ray spectroscopy to the use of radioactive isotope beams to form muonic atoms with unstable nuclei. This would allow studies of the nuclear properties and nuclear sizes of unstable atoms by means of the muonic X-ray method at facilities where both negative muon and radioactive nuclear beams would be available. Progress of a feasibility study at RIKEN-RAL muon facility is also reported. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Measurement of the kaonic hydrogen x-ray spectrum

The DEAR (DAPhiNE exotic atom research) experiment measured the energy of x rays emitted in the transitions to the ground state of kaonic hydrogen. The measured values for the shift epsilon and the width Gamma of the 1s state due to the K(-)p strong interaction are epsilon(1s)=-193 +/- 37 (stat) +/- 6 (syst) eV and Gamma(1s)=249 +/- 111 (stat) +/- 30 (syst) eV, the most precise values yet obtained. The pattern of the kaonic hydrogen K-series lines, K(alpha), K(beta), and K(gamma), was disentangled for the first time.     

Observation of kaonic hydrogen atom X-ray

We successfully observed clear K-series kaonic hydrogen X-rays for the first time taking advantage of two charged pions tagging technique and a gaseous hydrogen target. The strong-interaction energy shift and width of 1s state of K ⁻p atom were determined to be ΔE _1s = -323 ± 63 (statistical) ± 11 (systematic) eV and Г_1s = 407 ± 208 ± 100 eV. Our result means that the K ⁻p strong interaction near threshold is repulsive and the long-standing kaonic hydrogen puzzle is solved. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

氢原子斯塔克效应中微扰矩阵元的普遍公式

讨论了任意能级下氢原子斯塔克效应中的微扰矩阵元，并给出了n=4能级的能量一级修正值。     

均匀磁场中氢原子低能级简并度的解除

讨论了均匀强磁场中氢原子哈密顿量中B^2项的影响，指出在忽略自旋－轨道相互作用的情况下，该项可使氢原子低能级简并度完全解除。     

氢原子波函数的玻色算子表示

用四类玻色算子及博戈留波夫(Bogoliubov)变换,统一给出了氢原子波函数的表达式,并讨论了它们和波函数球坐标表达式的对应关系，完满地解决了氢原子波函数的算子表示问题. 关键词： 玻色算子 氢原子 波函数     

From kaonic atoms to kaonic nuclei: A search for antikaon-mediated bound nuclear systems

Strong interaction processes were intensively studied at low energy with exotic atoms, touching one of the fundamental problems in hadron physic today — the still unsolved question of how hadron masses are generated. The question of the origin of the large hadron masses made up of light quarks, the current mass of the up (u) and down (d) quarks (m_u,d≈5 MeV) is two orders of magnitude smaller than a typical hadron mass of about 1 GeV, will be discussed in the context with the experimental work done in the field of exotic atoms expanded to exotic nuclei.An overview of the properties of exotic hydrogen atoms made of pions and kaons are presented, using high precision experiments unrevealing the nature of strong interaction physics at low energy. A new field which contributes to the understanding of the origin of the large hadron mass is the study of the mass modification in a nuclear medium. Antikaon mediated bound nuclear systems would be an ideal tool, if they exist, to look for chiral restoration at high density and zero temperature or even more exotic to look for phase transitions.     

氢原子中电子概率密度的可视化研究

针对量子物理中氢原子电子概率密度抽象、不易理解的特点,本文给出了氢原子中电子概率密度分布函数,包括径向分布和角向分布函数.利用Matlab强大的绘图功能对其分布规律进行可视化研究.结果表明,该方法直观形象地揭示了氢原子中电子概率分布情况,为物理教学提供了新手段.     

Existence and transition properties of the three-deuteron muonic molecule (3d,2e -,μ-)

We calculated the energy and the size of the three-deuteron muonic molecule (3d,2e ^-,μ^-) = D₃μ. It turns out that this system possesses two equilibrium positions, one at distances typical for muonic molecules, the second one at the usual molecular size. We show, moreover, that the fusion probability of the three deuterons is considerably enhanced due to the existence of a ⁶Li^* threshold resonance. Our estimates indicate that this probability is considerably higher than the decay rate of the competing Auger transition. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.