No Arabic abstract
Background: The rate lambda_ppmu characterizes the formation of ppmu molecules in collisions of muonic pmu atoms with hydrogen. In measurements of the basic weak muon capture reaction on the proton to determine the pseudoscalar coupling g_P, capture occurs from both atomic and molecular states. Thus knowledge of lambda_ppmu is required for a correct interpretation of these experiments. Purpose: Recently the MuCap experiment has measured the capture rate Lambda_S from the singlet pmu atom, employing a low density active target to suppress ppmu formation (PRL 110, 12504 (2013)). Nevertheless, given the unprecedented precision of this experiment, the existing experimental knowledge in lambda_ppmu had to be improved. Method: The MuCap experiment derived the weak capture rate from the muon disappearance rate in ultra-pure hydrogen. By doping the hydrogen with 20 ppm of argon, a competing process to ppmu formation was introduced, which allowed the extraction of lambda_ppmu from the observed time distribution of decay electrons. Results: The ppmu formation rate was measured as lambda_ppmu = (2.01 +- 0.06(stat) +- 0.03(sys)) 10^6 s^-1. This result updates the lambda_ppmu value used in the above mentioned MuCap publication. Conclusions: The 2.5x higher precision compared to earlier experiments and the fact that the measurement was performed at nearly identical conditions to the main data taking, reduces the uncertainty induced by lambda_ppmu to a minor contribution to the overall uncertainty of Lambda_S and g_P, as determined in MuCap. Our final value for lambda_ppmu shifts Lambda_S and g_P by less than one tenth of their respective uncertainties compared to our results published earlier.
Studies of muonic hydrogen atoms and molecules have been performed traditionally in bulk targets of gas, liquid or solid. At TRIUMF, Canadas meson facility, we have developed a new type of target system using multilayer thin films of solid hydrogen, which provides a beam of muonic hydrogen atoms in vacuum. Using the time-of-flight of the muonic atoms, the energy-dependent information of muonic reactions are obtained in direct manner. We discuss some unique measurements enabled by the new technique, with emphasis on processes relevant to muon catalyzed fusion.
We report the first measurement of the temperature dependence of muon transfer rate from $mu$p atoms to oxygen between 100 and 300 K. Data were obtained from the X-ray spectra of delayed events in gaseous target H$_2$/O$_2$ exposed to a muon beam. Based on the data, we determined the muon transfer energy dependence up to 0.1 eV, showing an 8-fold increase in contrast with the predictions of constant rate in the low energy limit. This work set constraints on theoretical models of muon transfer, and is of fundamental importance for the measurement of the hyperfine splitting of $mu$p by the FAMU collaboration.
The use of argon as a detection and shielding medium for neutrino and dark matter experiments has made the precise knowledge of the cross section for neutron capture on argon an important design and operational parameter. Since previous measurements were averaged over thermal spectra and have significant disagreements, a differential measurement has been performed using a Time-Of-Flight neutron beam and a $sim$4$pi$ gamma spectrometer. A fit to the differential cross section from $0.015-0.15$,eV, assuming a $1/v$ energy dependence, yields $sigma^{2200} = 673 pm 26 text{ (stat.)} pm 59 text{ (sys.)}$,mb.
The part-per-million measurement of the positive muon lifetime and determination of the Fermi constant by the MuLan experiment at the Paul Scherrer Institute is reviewed. The experiment used an innovative, time-structured, surface muon beam and a near-4pi, finely-segmented, plastic scintillator positron detector. Two in-vacuum muon stopping targets were used: a ferromagnetic foil with a large internal magnetic field, and a quartz crystal in a moderate external magnetic field. The experiment obtained a muon lifetime 2 196 980.3(2.2) ps (1.0 ppm) and a Fermi constant 1.166 378 7(6) 10^-5 GeV^-2 (0.5 ppm). The thirty-fold improvement in the muon lifetime has proven valuable for precision measurements in nuclear muon capture and the commensurate improvement in the Fermi constant has proven valuable for precision tests of the standard model.
This Letter reports the first measurement of the $^{235}$U $overline{ u_{e}}$ energy spectrum by PROSPECT, the Precision Reactor Oscillation and Spectrum experiment, operating 7.9m from the 85MW$_{mathrm{th}}$ highly-enriched uranium (HEU) High Flux Isotope Reactor. With a surface-based, segmented detector, PROSPECT has observed 31678$pm$304 (stat.) $overline{ u_{e}}$-induced inverse beta decays (IBD), the largest sample from HEU fission to date, 99% of which are attributed to $^{235}$U. Despite broad agreement, comparison of the Huber $^{235}$U model to the measured spectrum produces a $chi^2/ndf = 51.4/31$, driven primarily by deviations in two localized energy regions. The measured $^{235}$U spectrum shape is consistent with a deviation relative to prediction equal in size to that observed at low-enriched uranium power reactors in the $overline{ u_{e}}$ energy region of 5-7MeV.