ATOMIC CORE-POLARIZATION EFFECTS IN METASTABLE HADRONIC HELIUM-ATOMS

A theoretical consideration is presented concerning the atomic core-polarization effect on the E1 transitions of large-l circular orbitals in hadronic helium atoms (e-X-He2+), where the e- occupies the Is orbital and the negative hadron (X-) occupies a large-l circular orbital. The first-order mixing of the 2p electron configuration due to the repulsive e--X- interaction gives rise to a substantial suppression (approximately 1/3) of the E1 transitions, compared with a single-particle estimate, since the slowly moving particle (X-) polarizes the electron cloud in the opposite direction. Recently discovered metastable states of antiprotonic helium atoms are discussed.