De-Excitation ofμ-Mesonic Atoms

Abstract

It has been shown that during the de-excitation of a mu -mesonic atom, as the mu seeks its ground state, some nonradiative process competes much more favorably with radiative transitions than does the usual Auger process. It has been suggested that collisions with neighboring atoms could cause the mu meson to fall from the 2p to the 1s level, with the released energy used to eject an electron from the colliding atom. The possibility is discussed of collisional de- excitation of the radiating 2p mesonic atom level to the metastable 2s level, whose radiative lifetime is long enough to permit Auger or other nonradiative decay from the n = 2 to the ground n = 1 state. (W.D.M.)