Feasibility guidelines for kaonic-atom experiments with ultra-high-resolution X-ray spectrometry

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the feasibility of using ultra-high-resolution X-ray spectrometry with superconducting microcalorimeters to measure upper and lower level widths in kaonic atoms, aiming to improve understanding of K^- interactions in nuclei.

Contribution

It introduces a method to measure upper level widths in kaonic atoms, expanding experimental capabilities with microcalorimeter detectors for nuclear interaction studies.

Findings

Identifies about ten candidate elements for such measurements.

Demonstrates potential for improved understanding of K^- nucleon interactions.

Suggests experimental focus on medium and heavy nuclei for best results.

Abstract

Recent studies of strong interaction effects in kaonic atoms suggest that analysing so-called `lower' and `upper' levels in the same atom could separate one-nucleon absorption from multinucleon processes. The present work examines the feasibility of direct measurements of upper level widths in addition to lower level widths in future experiments, using superconducting microcalorimeter detectors. About ten elements are identified as possible candidates for such experiments, all of medium-weight and heavy nuclei. New experiments focused on achieving good accuracy for widths of such pairs of levels could contribute significantly to our knowledge of the $K^-$-nucleon interaction in the nuclear medium.