Muon capture on deuteron using local chiral potentials

TL;DR

This paper calculates the muon capture rate on deuteron using local chiral potentials and assesses various sources of theoretical uncertainty, providing a precise rate consistent with previous models.

Contribution

It introduces a local chiral effective field theory approach to compute muon capture on deuteron, including a comprehensive uncertainty analysis.

Findings

Capture rate $oxed{255.8}$ s$^{-1}$ with quantified uncertainties

Good agreement with previous calculations

Uncertainty from model dependence and chiral order convergence

Abstract

The muon capture reaction $\mu^- + d \rightarrow n + n + \nu_{\mu}$ in the doublet hyperfine state is studied using nuclear potentials and consistent currents derived in chiral effective field theory, which are local and expressed in coordinate-space (the so-called Norfolk models). Only the largest contribution due to the $^1S_0$ $nn$ scattering state is considered. Particular attention is given to the estimate of the theoretical uncertainty, for which four sources have been identified: (i) the model dependence, (ii) the chiral order convergence for the weak nuclear current, (iii) the uncertainty in the single-nucleon axial form factor, and (iv) the numerical technique adopted to solve the bound and scattering $A=2$ systems. This last source of uncertainty has turned out essentially negligible. The $^1S_0$ doublet muon capture rate $\Gamma^D(^1S_0)$ has been found to be $\Gamma^D(^1S_0)=255.8(0.6)(4.4)(2.9)$ s$^{-1}$, where the three errors come from the first three sources of uncertainty. The value for $\Gamma^D(^1S_0)$ obtained within this local chiral framework is compared with previous calculations and found in very good agreement.