On the energy dependence of the muon transfer rate from hydrogen to oxygen

TL;DR

This paper presents calculations of muon transfer rates from muonic hydrogen to oxygen across a range of collision energies, predicting a p-wave resonance at about 0.1 eV relevant for hyperfine splitting experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed calculation of muon transfer rates including electron screening effects and predicts a p-wave resonance at specific energies.

Findings

Prediction of a p-wave resonance at ~0.1 eV

Calculation of transfer rates from 10^(-4) to 10 eV

Inclusion of electron screening effects

Abstract

The results of calculations of the muon transfer rate from the 1S state of muonic hydrogen to the nucleus of a free oxygen atom are presented in the interval of collision energies from 10^(-4) to 10 eV. The calculations were performed within a version of the perturbed stationary states method proposed earlier. The electron screening in the entrance channel of the transfer reaction was taken into account. A p-wave resonance in the transfer rate is predicted at collision energies of about 0.1 eV. This result is of interest in the context of the planned laser experiment on precise measurements of the hyperfine splitting energy of the 1S state of muonic hydrogen.