Speaker
Description
The muX experiment focuses on determining the absolute nuclear charge radius of Radium-226 using muonic atom spectroscopy combined with a novel muon capture method.
Traditionally, muonic atoms are formed by directly stopping muons in the target materials, requiring macroscopic target quantities. However, since radioactive sources are typically available only in microscopic quantities, the muX collaboration developed a new technique. This technique involves a high-pressure hydrogen/deuterium gas mixture in a cell, to capture muons via transfer reactions.
Once captured by the target material, the muons cascade down to their ground state, emitting characteristic X-rays. The energies of these X-rays reveal the muonic energy level scheme, which provides insights into properties such as the nuclear charge radius, quadrupole moment, and magnetic moment.
In the case of Uranium-238 ($^{238}$U), muonic atom spectroscopy was performed to extract its nuclear properties. The muonic $^{238}$U spectrum was analyzed, with a focus on studying cascade behaviors associated with both direct and transfer muon capture. It was observed that direct muon capture demonstrates a preference for transitions from $(n, l=n-1)$ to $(n-1, l=n-2)$ states compared to transfer muon capture, aligning with cascade simulations.
