Muon Capture in Hydrogen
Abstract
An experiment to measure the muon capture rate in liquid hydrogen was carried out using scintillation counter techniques. The experiment tests muon-electron universality in interaction with a proton at a momentum transfer of 100 MeV/c. The use of ultra-pure liquid hydrogen, a purified muon beam, neutron-gamma ray discriminating detectors and oscilloscope photography made possible the detection of the 5.2 MeV neutron from the relatively improbable capture reaction (mu + p yields n + nu). The muon molecular formation rate was measured in an independent experiment, but the present result is relatively insensitive to it. The stability of the muon molecular ortho state against transitions to the para ground state for times comparable to the free muon life-time is confirmed. The experimental result of the capture rate measurement, 464 + or - 42 per second is compared with 562 + or - 60 per second, the rate expected on the basis of the conserved vector current theory, muon-electron universality and the accepted value of the "induced pseudo scalar" coupling constant.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0409501
Entities
People
- Joseph E. Rothberg
Organizations
- Columbia University