MUON TRANSFER FROM HYDROGEN AND DEUTERIUM ATOMS TO NEON

The muon exchange reactions from the ground state of muonic protium and deuterium atoms to neon are studied. Measurements have been performed in binary gas mixtures at room temperature. The transfer rate from thermalized muonic deuterium is found to exceed by about an order of magnitude the one from muonic protium. On the other hand, an energy dependence of the rate from μd is revealed, while none is observed from μp. The intensity patterns of the muonic Lyman series of neon resulting from the muon exchange differ from one hydrogen isotope to the other, the most obvious discrepancy being the presence of the muonic Ne(7-1) line after transfer from μd, whereas this line is absent by transfer from μp. This indicates that the muon is transferred to the level np=6 in neon from protium, respectively, nd=7 from deuterium. This observation disagrees with the theoretical predictions. This study sheds some light on the surprising behavior of muon transfer to neon. © 1995 The American Physical Society.