### ABSORPTION OF $mu$sup -$MESONS IN C$sup 1$sup 2$ABSORPTION OF $mu$sup -$MESONS IN C$sup 1$sup 2$

Access Restriction
Open

 Author Argo, H. V. ♦ Harrison, F. B. ♦ Kruse, H. W. ♦ McGuire, A. D. Source United States Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information Content type Text Language English
 Subject Keyword PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS ♦ ABSORPTION ♦ BETA DECAY ♦ BINDING ENERGY ♦ BORON 12 ♦ CARBON 12 ♦ COSMIC RADIATION ♦ EFFICIENCY ♦ ELECTRONS ♦ ENERGY LEVELS ♦ INTERACTIONS ♦ MATRICES ♦ MEASURED VALUES ♦ MESONS ♦ MUONS ♦ NEUTRINOS ♦ NUCLEAR MODELS ♦ NUCLEAR THEORY ♦ NUCLEONS ♦ NUMERICALS Abstract It is known that there is a strong similarity between the electron- nucleon and electron-muon weak interactions. This paper is a repont on an experimental investigation of the third leg of the triangle, the muon-nucleon interaction. The absorption of negative cosmic-ray muons stopped in C/sup 12/ was studied, and the probability per second of absorption resulting in the formation of B/sup 12/ in the ground state was measured and found to be 9050 plus or minus 950 sec/sup -1/. This is compared to the known rate of BETA decay of B/sup 12/ to the ground state of C/sup 12/, 33.2 plus or minus 0.65 sec/sup -1/. The ratio of the rates is 273 plus or minus 29. In the allowed approximations the nuclear matrix elements for the two processes are the same, and the ratio of the rates can be calculated in terms of the ratfo of the coupling constants without assuming a nuclear model. The short wavelength of the neutrino emitted in mu absorption (13 fermis) causes forbidden matrix elements to make an important contribution to the mu -absorption rate, so that the theoretical prediction fs dependent on the nuclear model. Within the uncertainties of the calculations the electron-nucleon and muon-nucleon axial vector coupling constants are the same. (auth) ISSN 0031899X Educational Use Research Learning Resource Type Article Publisher Date 1959-04-15 Publisher Department Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N. Mex. Journal Physical Review Volume Number 114 Organization Los Alamos Scientific Lab., N. Mex.