Summary
Some atomic and molecular processes which occur when K−-mesons stop and are captured in liquid helium are investigated. It is shown that while the K−-meson is in its initially highly-excited atomic states,S-state capture is predominant.
Riassunto
Si esaminano alcuni processi atomici e molecolari che avvengono quando i mesoni K− si fermano e vengono catturati nell’elio liquido. Si mostra che quando il mesone K− è nei suoi stati atomici di alta eccitazione iniziale, la cattura nello statoS è predominante.
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References
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The arguments in references (1) and (2) were semi-classical. A quantum mechanical calculation of the effect for a very closely related model has been performed byF. Gürsey andC. N. Yang with results which agree with references (1) and (2)F. Gürsey: private communication.
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Considerations similar to those of reference (1) may be applied to liquid deuterium. Here, however, directP=state capture viaS-wave interaction can occur as well. Using the notation of reference (2), the rates for liquid deuterium are\(\begin{gathered} (a)\Gamma _{rad} (6P \to 1S) = 1.6 \cdot 10^{10} s, \hfill \\ (b)\Gamma _{coll}^n (S - Stark) \sim \frac{{3 \cdot 10^{12} }}{n} - (1 - exp[ - 7.5 \cdot 10^3 /n^4 ]), \hfill \\ (c)\Gamma _{coll}^n (P - Stark) \sim \frac{{3 \cdot 10^{12} }}{n} - (1 - exp[ - 10/n^4 ]) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} \). Thus, forn∼10, Γrad(10P)~10Γ 10coll (P-Stark), Γ 10coll (S-Stark)~100Γra1(10P), and there will be no appreciable direct capture fromP-states due to Stark mixing in deuterium.
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The dipole matrix elements involved in the external Auger rates increase with increasingl for fixed initial and final principal quantum numbers. See ref. (11), p. 264.
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This research was supported in part by the United States Air Force through the Air Force Office of Scientific Research of the Air Research and Development Command.
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Day, T.B. K−-meson capture by helium. Nuovo Cim 18, 381–394 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02725947
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02725947