J.-P. Egger

Determination of the πN scattering lengths from pionic hydrogen

Abstract The final results from the pionic hydrogen X-ray experiment at PSI are presented. With this experiment the strong interaction energy level shift e 1s and the total decay width Γ 1s of the 1s state of pionic hydrogen were obtained from a precise measurement of the 3p–1s X-ray line: e 1s =−7.108±0.013(stat.)±0.034(syst.) eV (attractive) and Γ 1s = 0.868±0.040(stat.)±0.038(syst.) eV. The corresponding hadronic π N s-wave scattering lengths for elastic scattering and single charge exchange are: a π − p→π − p =0.0883±0.0008 m −1 π and a π − p→π 0 n =−0.128±0.006 m −1 π . Combining the results of the pionic hydrogen and deuterium measurements, the isoscalar ( b 0 ) and isovector ( b 1 ) scattering lengths, corresponding to an isospin symmetric interaction, can be calculated: b 0 =0.0016±0.0013 m −1 π and b 1 =−0.0868±0.0014 m −1 π .

Balmer α transitions in antiprotonic hydrogen and deuterium

Abstract The strong-interaction shifts ϵ and broadenings Γ of the 2p levels in antiprotonic hydrogen and deuterium have been measured for the first time with a crystal spectrometer. In hydrogen, the 2 3 P 0 hyperfine state could be resolved from the three close-lying states 2 3 P 2 , 2 1 P 1 , and 2 3 P 1 . The hadronic shift was determined to be ϵ 2 3 P 0 =+139±28 meV (attractive). The value found for Γ 2 3 P 0 =120±25 meV is much larger than the spin-averaged 2p-level broadening Γ bal 2p as determined from earlier experiments measuring the intensity balance. The average shift of the three unresolved states is consistent with zero and a mean broadening of Γ 2( 3 P 2 , 1 P 1 , 3 P 1 ) =38±9 meV was measured. In deuterium, the spin-averaged hadronic shift and broadening were found to be ϵ 2p =−243±26 meV (repulsive) and Γ 2p =489±30 meV.

A large area CCD X-ray detector for exotic atom spectroscopy

A large area, position and energy sensitive detector has been developed to study the characteristic X-radiation of exotic atoms in the few keV range. The detector, built up from an array of six high-resistivity CCDs, is used as the focal plane of a reflection-type crystal spectrometer. A large detection area is necessary because of the need to detect simultaneously two or more lines close in energy as well as broad structures like fluorescence X-rays from electronic atoms. The fine pixel structure provides accurate determination of the X-ray line position while the excellent background rejection capabilities of the CCD, using both energy and topographical discrimination, are essential in the high background environment of a particle accelerator.

Measurement of the strong interaction parameters in antiprotonic hydrogen and probable evidence for an interference with inner bremsstrahlung

Abstract The spin-averaged values of the 1s strong interaction parameters in antiprotonic hydrogen were measured with good statistics. The results are: shift (ϵ 1s ) = −712.5 ± 20.3 eV and width (Γ 1s ) = 1054± 65 eV . These values are compatible and have approximately the same precision as the world average before this experiment. With some additional constraints, both the triplet and singlet components could be extracted from the same spectrum. The results are: 3 S 1 shift: −785 ± 35 eV , 3 S 1 width: 940 ± 80 eV , 1 S 0 width: 1200 ± 250 eV . In addition, precise values for the K α L α and Ltotal L α yields at low pressure (20 mbar) were obtained: 0.0176 ± 0.0016 and 1.45 ± 0.05 . Furthermore, the 2p mean absorption width of 30.8 ± 3.0 meV was deduced, also compatible with and of similar precision as the world average before this experiment. An indication of interference between the measured Lyman (Ki) x-ray series and the process of inner bremsstrahlung due to charged meson production after annihilation was seen because of the low background conditions of this experiment.

X-ray spectroscopy of the pionic deuterium atom

Abstract The low energy X-rays of the pionic deuterium 3P-1S transition were measured using a high resolution crystal spectrometer, together with a cyclotron trap (a magnetic device to increase the pion stopping density) and a CCD (charge-coupled device) detector system. The spectrometer resolution was 0.65 eV FWHM for a measured energy of approximately 3075 eV. This energy was measured with a precision of 0.1 eV. Compared to conventional methods, the cyclotron trap allowed for a gain in stopping density of about an order of magnitude. The CCDs had excellent spatial and energy resolutions. Non-X-ray background could therefore be almost completely eliminated. The 1S strong interaction shift ϵ1S and total decay width Γ1S were determined from the position and line shape of the X-ray peak. They are ϵ 1S ( shift ) = 2.43 ± 0.10 eV ( repulsive ), Γ 1S ( width ) = 1.02 ± 0.21 eV , where the statistical and systematic errors were added linearly. The total (complex) pionic deuterium S-wave scattering length aπ−d was deduced: a π − d = −0.0259(±0.0011) + i 0.0054(±0.0011)m π −1 . From the real part of aπ−d a constraint in terms of the isoscalar and isovector πN′ scattering lengths b0 and b1 was deduced. From Im aπ−d we determined the isoscalar coupling constant for π− absorption: |g0| = (2.6 ± 0.3) 10−2mπ−2. The experiments of the pionic hydrogen and deuterium S-wave scattering lengths were analyzed within the framework of a search for i isospin symmetry violation. The data are still compatible with isospin conservation. The scattering lengths deduced from the Karlsruhe-Helsinki phase shift analysis disagree with the present results.

Measurement of the strong interaction parameters in antiprotonic deuterium

Abstract Antiprotonic deuterium K α X-rays were seen for the first time. Their analysis resulted in spin-averaged 1s strong interaction parameters, namely −1050±250 eV (repulsive) for the 1s shift and 1100±750 eV for the 1s width. The large errors are mainly due to low statistics. In addition, values for the K α /L α and L total /L α yields at low pressure (20 mbar) were obtained: 0.005±0.003 and 1.34±0.05. Furthermore, a 2p mean absorption width of 80 ≤ Γ 2p ≤ 350 meV was deduced. The results for the 1s ground state are somewhat surprising, especially the narrow 1s width which is similar to the spin-averaged antiprotonic hydrogen 1s width. However, our 1s width is in agreement with low-energy scattering data [A. Zenoni et al., Phys. Lett. B 461 (1999) 413] (see preceding paper).

Determination of the strong interaction shift in pionic hydrogen with a high resolution crystal spectrometer system

Abstract The 3P-1S X-ray transition energy was measured in pionic hydrogen with a double focussing silicon crystal spectrometer in combination with a cyclotron trap and CCD detectors: E = 2885.98 ± 0.17 (stat.) ± 0.15 (syst.) eV. The corresponding strong intera ction shift ϵ 1S = 7.12 ± 0.32 eV (attractive) yields the scattering length combination 1 3 (2a 1 + a 3 ) = 0.086 ± 0.004 m π −1 .

Precision measurement of antiprotonic hydrogen and deuterium X-rays

X-rays from antiprotonic hydrogen and deuterium have been measured at low pressures. Using the cyclotron trap, a 105 MeV/c antiproton beam from LEAR was stopped with an efficiency of 86% in 30 mbar hydrogen gas in a volume of only 100 cm3. The X-rays were measured with Si(Li) detectors and a Xe-CH4 drift chamber. The strong interaction shift and broadening of the Lymanα transition and the spin-averaged 2p width in antiprotonic hydrogen was measured with unprecedented accuracy. The triplet component of the ground state in antiprotonic hydrogen was determined for the first time.

Highly charged ions in exotic atoms research at PSI

During their de-excitation, exotic atoms formed in low pressure gases reach a state of high or even complete ionization. X-rays emitted from higher n-states of electron-free atoms have well defined energies with the error originating only from the error in the mass values of the constituent particles. They served as a basis for a new determination of the pion mass as well as for a high precision measurement of the pionic hydrogen ground state shift. The response function of the Bragg spectrometer has been determined with X-rays from completely ionized pionic carbon and with a dedicated electron cyclotron resonance ion trap (ECRIT). A further extension of the ECRIT method implemented in the experiment allows a direct calibration of exotic atom transitions as well as a precise determination of the energy of fluorescence lines.

A high resolution reflecting crystal spectrometer to measure 3 keV pionic hydrogen and deuterium X-rays

Abstract A reflecting crystal spectrometer consisting of three cylindrically bent quartz (110) crystals is described, it was designed to measure the 3 keV Kβ X-rays from pionic hydrogen and deuterium. Charge coupled devices (CCDs) were used as X-ray detectors. Projecting the reflexes of all three crystals on one common focus, an instrumental energy resolution below 1 eV was obtained at an energy of 2.9 keV.