Excited states of muonic helium hydride ions and their possible impact on muon reactivation

Several previously unknown resonances of the μtμ helium hydride ion have been identified using a variational procedure. It is suggested that these resonances may form in αμ(1s)-TD(T₂) scattering, for centre of mass collision energies in the range 8–10 keV. If the molecular complex (αtμ)*dee]* is formed in a dissociative state (with respect to the α tμ-d coordinate), the dissociation energy may in part be transferred to the muonic degrees of freedom, opening the exit channel (αtμ)*dee]* → tμ + α e + T, effectively amounting to muon transfer from α to t. We present a theoretical formulation of this novel and hypothetical mechanism for muon reactivation together with a numerical calculation of its cross-section for a special case. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.