Muon Radiation in Methanol: In Support of the Spur Model

Abstract

Abstract Different fractions of muon environments were studied in methanol within a temperature range of 177 K to 316 K. The diamagnetic fraction does not vary significantly with temperature, while the muonium (Mu) fraction decreases by a factor of 2 as temperature increases and the lost fraction increases with temperature at the expense of the Mu fraction It is likely that at low temperatures Mu becomes segregated from solvated electrons created in the spur leading to the increase in Mu fraction and decrease in lost fraction. As internal energy increases, the hydrogen bonding in methanol decreases. This can avoid separation of Mu from the solvated electrons in the radiolysis track increasing thus the likelihood of Mu being dephased by a solvated electron during an encounter. Our experimental data also suggests that the hot atom model is not appropriate to describe the thermalization of muons in methanol.