M. P. Faifman

Quadrupole corrections to matrix elements of transitions in resonant reactions of muonic molecule formation

The calculated resonant formation rates of the muonic molecules ddµ and dtµ are presented. The approach developed earlier for calculating the transition matrix elements in the dipole approximation has been extended to include the quadrupole terms in the multipole expansion of the interaction operator. The calculated dependence of the dtµ formation rates on the energies of the incident tµ muonic atoms shows that the effect of including the quadrupole correction is to reduce the magnitude of the peak rates by about 20–30% at the different temperatures, compared to those calculated in the dipole approximation. The dependence on temperature for the ddµ formation rates is obtained with the differences between the presented and previous calculations being less than 5%.

Experimental investigation of muon-catalyzed dt fusion at cryogenic temperatures

Abstract An experimental investigation of muon-catalyzed fusion ( μCF ) in gaseous, liquid and solid mixtures of deuterium and tritium was performed. The target conditions included the range of densities of 0.03 ≲ φ ≲ 1.5, tritium concentrations of 2% ≲ c t ≲ 90% and temperatures of 13 ≲ T ≲ 40 K . The study was based on the analysis of observed cycling rates extracted from the measured time distributions of the fusion neutrons. For the first time, the density dependence of the rates λ ( dtμ ) d 0 for the dtμ molecule formation in collisions of tμ atoms in the lower (F=0) hyperfine state with D 2 molecules was determined experimentally. Evidence for the proposed effects of below-threshold resonances on molecular formation was found. Measurements at low temperatures in mixtures of different molecular compositions revealed a clear predominance of the λ ( dtμ ) d 0 formation rate. The probability q 1 s for dμ atoms to reach the ground state was determined as a function of density and tritium concentration.

Muon catalyzed fusion in deuterium gas

AbstractWe present the results of an experiment performed at PSI to investigate muon catalyzed fusion in pure deuterium gas of 5% density (LHD) at temperatures ranging from 28 K to 350 K. Using a new high pressure ionization chamber the reactions dd → n + 3He and dd → p+t were observed with 100% detection efficiency. The rates of dμd formation were measured with the absolute precision of 1% and the μd spin-flip rates with 0.5%. The temperature dependence of molecular formation and spin-flip rates display pronounced resonance structures. A preliminary fit based on the Vesman mechanism of resonant muonic molecule formation was carried out yielding a dd fusion rate of 3.5·108 s-1 and a hfs splitting energy

Resonantddμformation in condensed deuterium

\delta \varepsilon _{d\mu d}

Cascade Processes in Muonic Hydrogen Atoms

of 24.3 meV, both in good agreement with the theory.

Resonant formation measurements of \(dt\mu \) via time of flight

Preliminary results are reported for an experiment at TRIUMF where a time-of-flight technique was tested for measuring the energy dependence of the rate for muon-catalyzed dt fusion. Muonic tritium atoms were created following transfer of negative muons from muonic protium in a layer of solid hydrogen (protium) containing a small fraction of tritium. The atoms escaped from the solid layer via the Ramsauer-Townsend mechanism, traversed a drift region of 18 mm, and then struck an adjacent layer of deuterium, where the muonic atom could form a molecular system. The time of detection of a fusion product (neutron or alpha) following muon arrival is dependent upon the energy of the muonic tritium atom as it traverses the drift region. By comparison of the time distribution of fusion events with a prediction based on the theoretical energy dependence of the rate, the strength of resonant formation can in principle be determined. The results extracted so far are discussed and the limitations of the method are examined.

μCF Experiments in D2 and HD Gases – Final Results

The rate of

Final results on the mu He-3-capture experiment and perspectives for mu p-capture studies

dd\mu