L.A. Schaller

Proton Structure from the Measurement of 2S-2P Transition Frequencies of Muonic Hydrogen

Proton Still Too Small Despite a protons tiny size, it is possible to measure its radius based on its charge or magnetization distributions. Traditional measurements of proton radius were based on the scattering between protons and electrons. Recently, a precision measurement of a line in the spectrum of muonium—an atom consisting of a proton and a muon, instead of an electron—revealed a radius inconsistent with that deduced from scattering studies. Antognini et al. (p. 417; see the Perspective by Margolis) examined a different spectral line of muonium, with results less dependent on theoretical analyses, yet still inconsistent with the scattering result; in fact, the discrepancy increased. A precision spectroscopic measurement of the proton radius indicates a growing discrepancy with respect to scattering results. [Also see Perspective by Margolis] Accurate knowledge of the charge and Zemach radii of the proton is essential, not only for understanding its structure but also as input for tests of bound-state quantum electrodynamics and its predictions for the energy levels of hydrogen. These radii may be extracted from the laser spectroscopy of muonic hydrogen (μp, that is, a proton orbited by a muon). We measured the 2S1/2F=0-2P3/2F=1 transition frequency in μp to be 54611.16(1.05) gigahertz (numbers in parentheses indicate one standard deviation of uncertainty) and reevaluated the 2S1/2F=1-2P3/2F=2 transition frequency, yielding 49881.35(65) gigahertz. From the measurements, we determined the Zemach radius, rZ = 1.082(37) femtometers, and the magnetic radius, rM = 0.87(6) femtometer, of the proton. We also extracted the charge radius, rE = 0.84087(39) femtometer, with an order of magnitude more precision than the 2010-CODATA value and at 7σ variance with respect to it, thus reinforcing the proton radius puzzle.

First direct observation of time-reversal non-invariance in the neutral-kaon system

Abstract We report on the first observation of time-reversal symmetry violation through a comparison of the probabilities of K 0 transforming into K0 and K0 into K 0 as a function of the neutral-kaon eigentime t. The comparison is based on the analysis of the neutral-kaon semileptonic decays recorded in the CPLEAR experiment. There, the strangeness of the neutral kaon at time t=0 was tagged by the kaon charge in the reaction p p → K ± π ∓ K 0 ( K 0 ) at rest, whereas the strangeness of the kaon at the decay time t=τ was tagged by the lepton charge in the final state. An average decay-rate asymmetry 〈 R( K 0 t=0 → e + π − ν t=τ )−R( K 0 t=0 → e − π + ν t=τ ) R( K 0 t=0 → e + π − ν t=τ )+R( K 0 t=0 → e − π + ν t=τ ) 〉=(6.6±1.3 stat ±1.0 syst )×10 −3 was measured over the interval 1 τ S τ S , thus leading to evidence for time-reversal non-invariance.

Laser spectroscopy of muonic deuterium

The deuteron is too small, too The radius of the proton has remained a point of debate ever since the spectroscopy of muonic hydrogen indicated a large discrepancy from the previously accepted value. Pohl et al. add an important clue for solving this so-called proton radius puzzle. They determined the charge radius of the deuteron, a nucleus consisting of a proton and a neutron, from the transition frequencies in muonic deuterium. Mirroring the proton radius puzzle, the radius of the deuteron was several standard deviations smaller than the value inferred from previous spectroscopic measurements of electronic deuterium. This independent discrepancy points to experimental or theoretical error or even to physics beyond the standard model. Science, this issue p. 669 The charge radius of the deuteron is several standard deviations smaller than the previously accepted value. The deuteron is the simplest compound nucleus, composed of one proton and one neutron. Deuteron properties such as the root-mean-square charge radius rd and the polarizability serve as important benchmarks for understanding the nuclear forces and structure. Muonic deuterium μd is the exotic atom formed by a deuteron and a negative muon μ–. We measured three 2S-2P transitions in μd and obtain rd = 2.12562(78) fm, which is 2.7 times more accurate but 7.5σ smaller than the CODATA-2010 value rd = 2.1424(21) fm. The μd value is also 3.5σ smaller than the rd value from electronic deuterium spectroscopy. The smaller rd, when combined with the electronic isotope shift, yields a “small” proton radius rp, similar to the one from muonic hydrogen, amplifying the proton radius puzzle.

An EPR experiment testing the non-separability of the wave function

Abstract The EPR-type strangeness correlation in the K0 K 0 system produced in the reaction p p → K 0 K 0 at rest has been tested using the CPLEAR detector. The strangeness was tagged via strong interaction with absorbers away from the creation point. The results are consistent with the QM non-separability of the wave function and exclude a spontaneous wave-function factorisation at creation (CL >99.99%).

Tests of CPT symmetry and quantum mechanics with experimental data from CPLEAR

Abstract We use fits to recent published CPLEAR data on neutral kaon decays to π + π − and πeν to constrain the CPT-violation parameters appearing in a formulation of the neutral kaon system as an open quantum-mechanical system. The obtained upper limits of the CPT-violation parameters are approaching the range suggested by certain ideas concerning quantum gravity.

Precision test of vacuum polarization in heavy muonic atoms

Abstract In order to test the QED corrections, and in particular the vacuum polarization, muonic 4f-3d transitions in Ba and Ce and 5g-4f transitions in Tl and Pb have been measured using Ge(Li) detectors. An absolute energy accuracy of ± 8 eV corresponding to a relative error of 17–19 ppm has been obtained. The experimental energies agree with theory within the total uncertainty of ± 10 eV. This corresponds to a test of the QED vacuum polarization calculations of between 0.35 % and 0.50 %.

Behaviour of large-area avalanche photodiodes under intense magnetic fields for VUV- visible- and X-ray photon detection

The behaviour of large-area avalanche photodiodes for X-rays, visible and vacuum-ultra-violet (VUV) light detection in magnetic fields up to 5 T is described. For X-rays and visible light detection, the photodiode pulse amplitude and energy resolution were unaffected from 0 to 5 T, demonstrating the insensitivity of this type of detector to strong magnetic fields. For VUV light detection, however, the photodiode relative pulse amplitude decreases with increasing magnetic field intensity reaching a reduction of about 24% at 5 T, and the energy resolution degrades noticeably with increasing magnetic field. r 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 07.85.F; 29.40.M; 85.60.D

Physics at CPLEAR

LEAR offered unique opportunities to study the symmetries which exist between matter and antimatter. At variance with other approaches at this facility, CPLEAR was an experiment devoted to the study of , and symmetries in the neutral-kaon system. A variety of measurements allowed us to determine with high precision the parameters which describe the time evolution of the neutral kaons and their antiparticles, including decay amplitudes, and the related symmetry properties. Limits concerning quantum-mechanical predictions (EPR, coherence of the wave function) or the equivalence principle of general relativity have been obtained. An account of the main features of the experiment and its performances is given here, together with the results achieved.

The Muonic Hydrogen Lamb Shift Experiment at PSI

A measurement of the 2S Lamb shift in muonic hydrogen (μ−p) is being prepared at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI). The goal of the experiment is to measure the energy difference ΔE(25P3/2−23S1/2) by laser spectroscopy (λ≈6μm) to a precision of 30 ppm and to deduce the root mean square (rms) proton charge radius with 10−3 relative accuracy, 20 times more precise than presently known.An important prerequisite to this experiment is the availability of long-lived μp2S-atoms. A 2S-lifetime of ∼1 μs – sufficiently long to perform the laser experiment – at H2 gas pressures of 1–2 hPa was deduced from recent measurements of the collisional 2S-quenching rate. A new low-energy negative muon beam yields an order of magnitude more muon stops in a small low-density gas volume than a conventional cloud muon beam. A stack of ultra-thin carbon foils is the key element of a fast detector for keV-muons. The development of a 2 keV X-ray detector and a 3-stage laser system providing 0.5 mJ laser pulses at 6 μm is on the way.

Characterization of large area avalanche photodiodes in X-ray and VUV-light detection

The present manuscript reviews our RD this may be compromised by the non-linearity between gains measured for X-rays and VUV-light. The gain was found to be lower for X-rays than for VUV light, especially at higher bias voltages. For 5.9 keV X-rays, gain variations of 10% and 6% were measured relative to VUV light produced in argon ( ~ 128 nm) and xenon ( ~ 172 nm) for gains of about 200. The effect of temperature on the LAAPD performance was investigated for X-ray and VUV-light detection. Gain variations of more than -4% per oC were measured for 5.9 keV X-rays for gains above 200, while for VUV light variations are larger than -5% per oC. The energy resolution was found to improve with decreasing temperature, what is mainly attributed to dark current. The excess noise factor, another contribution to the energy resolution, was experimentally determined and found to be independent of temperature, increasing linearly with gain, from 1.8 to 2.3 for a 50-300 gain range. The LAAPD response under intense magnetic fields up to 5 Tesla was investigated. While for X-ray detection the APD response practically does not vary with the magnetic field, for 172 nm VUV light a significant amplitude reduction of more than 20% was observed.