Single Scattering of 2-Bev/cMuons in Nuclear Emulsions

Abstract

The single scattering of high-energy muons from emulsion nuclei was measured using a monoenergetic beam of muons produced at the Berkeley bevatron. The median momentum of muons was 2.00\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03 Bev/c with a spread of no more than \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3.5%. Nuclear emulsion stacks were exposed to this muon beam behind the targets used for a counter experiment. The results of the counter experiment were reported earlier. The muon tracks recorded in nuclear emulsions were followed by a special fast-scanning technique, and a total of 682 single scattering events were found from 743 meters of track following. For the muon beam accepted in the emulsion scanning, the pion contamination was measured to be 1.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2%. These pions contribute to the integral muon scattering data by about 3% for scattering angles greater than 1\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. The observed scattering distribution which extends up to 3\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} scattering angle, or momentum transfer of about 100 Mev/c, is in good agreement with the electromagnetic theory predictions and complements the counter experiment which covered momentum transfers of 70-400 Mev/c.