Probabilities of muon induced nuclear reactions involving charged particle emission

doi:10.1016/0375-9474(78)90218-X

Nuclear Physics A

Volume 294, Issue 3, 16 January 1978, Pages 278-292

https://doi.org/10.1016/0375-9474(78)90218-X Get rights and content

Abstract

The probabilities for the reactions (μ⁻, p), (μ⁻, pn), (μ⁻, p2n), (μ⁻, p3n) and (μ⁻, α) were measured by activation experiments on 18 elements from Na to Bi. The results suggest the following systematics : (i) the probability W of each type of reaction depends on the atomic number of the target and can be described by W = aexp( -bV), where V is the Coulomb barrier of the compound nucleus for the ejected charged particle; (ii) the factor b is the same for all (μ⁻, pxn) reactions and not very different for (μ⁻, α) reactions; (iii) the relative probabilities for (μ⁻, pxn) reactions for a given target vary as 1 :6 :4 :4 for x = 0, 1, 2, 3. The experimental results are compared with a theoretical estimate of the reaction probability and with the corresponding 14 MeV neutron induced reactions.

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At depths below a few metres, ³⁶Cl production in calcite is initiated almost entirely by cosmic ray muons. The principal reactions are (1) direct negative muon capture by Ca; ⁴⁰Ca(μ⁻,α)³⁶Cl, and (2) capture by ³⁵Cl of secondary neutrons produced in muon capture and muon-induced photodisintegration reactions. We have determined rates for ³⁶Cl and neutron production due to muon capture in calcite from a 20 m (5360 g cm⁻²) depth profile in limestone. The ³⁶Cl yield from muon capture by Ca in pure calcite is 0.012 ± 0.002 atom per stopped negative muon. The surface production rate of ³⁶Cl by muon capture on Ca in calcite is, therefore, 2.1 ± 0.4 atom g⁻¹a⁻¹ at sea level and high latitude, approximately 11% of the production rate by Ca spallation. If it is assumed that 34% of the negative muons are captured by the Ca atom in calcite, the α-yield from ⁴⁰Ca following muon capture is 0.043 ± 0.008, somewhat lower than the result of a recent muon irradiation experiment (0.062 ± 0.020), but well within the extremes of existing theoretical predictions (0.0033–0.15). The average neutron yield following muon capture in pure calcite is 0.44 ± 0.15 secondary neutrons per stopped negative muon, in good agreement with existing theoretical predictions.
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^☆: Work supported in part by the Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research (SIN).

^††: Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton NY, USA.

^†††: University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.

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Probabilities of muon induced nuclear reactions involving charged particle emission☆

Abstract

Nucl. Phys.

Phys. Reports

Dubna report El-9457

Sov. J. Nucl. Phys.

Nucl. Phys.

Nuovo Cim.

Phys. Rev.

Nucl. Phys.

Phys. Rev.

Nucl. Phys.

Can. J. Phys.

Phys. Lett.

SIN Newsletter

SIN Newsletter

Ann. Rev. Nucl. Sci.

Sov. J. Nucl. Phys.

J. Radioanal. Chem.

NBS Circular 583

Atomic Data and Nucl. Data Tables