Stability conditions for bound states in antiprotonic atoms

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stability of bound antiprotons near nuclei by analyzing experimental X-ray data and theoretical models to determine dominant decay mechanisms across different quantum states.

Contribution

It provides a minimal theoretical framework and parameter estimates to identify whether strong or electromagnetic decay channels dominate in antiprotonic atoms.

Findings

Identifies decay mechanisms for various quantum states.

Estimates parameter ranges for stability.

Guides future spectroscopic experiments.

Abstract

We study the stability of bound antiprotons in close proximity to the atomic nucleus. Using experimental data from X-ray spectroscopy measurements of antiprotonic atom transitions, we tune a minimal theoretical framework and estimate parameter ranges where the strong or electromagnetic decay channels govern the stability of the deepest bound states. In this way, we present an overview of the dominant decay mechanism of antiprotonic orbits for a given principle quantum number, to assist future spectroscopic experiments on antiprotonic atoms.