DISTRIBUTION OF CHARGE IN TH232 AND U238 DETERMINED BY MEASUREMENTS AND MUONIC X RAYS

The energies and intensities of the x rays of muonic atoms of Th232 and U238 were measured. Analysis of the data was performed using the rotational model of strongly deformed nuclei to include dynamic quadrupole interactions. The distribution of nuclear charge was represented by a modified Fermi distribution which involves three parameters, namely, the intrinsic quadrupole moment Q0, the half-density radius c=c0A13, and the skin thickness t. It was found that the allowed ranges of values for Q0, c0, and t were for thorium 9.58-9.83 b, 1.155-1.143 F, and 1.54-1.87 F, and for uranium 11.20-11.41 b, 1.150-1.142 F, and 1.600-1.87 F, respectively. However, if specific values for two of these parameters are chosen, the third is determined with an error smaller than the above ranges: 0.5% for Q0, 0.25% for c0, and 0.6% for t. © 1969 The American Physical Society.