Muonic-hydrogen molecular bound states, quasibound states, and resonances in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994 · Physical Review A; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.49.132· OSTI ID:5284951

Jackson, J D ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 92720 (United States)

The Born-Oppenheimer approximation is used as an exploratory tool to study bound states, quasibound states, and scattering resonances in muon ([mu])--hydrogen ([ital x])--hydrogen ([ital y]) molecular ions. Our purpose is to comment on the existence and nature of the narrow states reported in three-body calculations, for [ital L]=0 and 1, at approximately 55 eV above threshold and the family of states in the same partial waves reported about 1.9 keV above threshold. We first discuss the motivation for study of excited states beyond the well-known and well-studied bound states. Then we reproduce the energies and other properties of these well-known states to show that, despite the relatively large muon mass, the Born-Oppenheimer approximation gives a good, semiquantitative description containing all the essential physics. Born-Oppenheimer calculations of the [ital s]- and [ital p]-wave scattering of [ital d]-([ital d][mu]), [ital d]-([ital t][mu]), and [ital t]-([ital t][mu]) are compared with the accurate three-body results, again with general success. The places of disagreement are understood in terms of the differences in location of slightly bound (or unbound) states in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation compared to the accurate three-body calculations.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 5284951
• Journal Information: Physical Review A; (United States), Vol. 49:1; ISSN 1050-2947
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
HYDROGEN
BOUND STATE
QUASIBOUND STATE
RESONANCE SCATTERING
HYDROGEN IONS
MUONIC MOLECULES
BORN-OPPENHEIMER APPROXIMATION
EXCITED STATES
MOLECULAR IONS
MUON-CATALYZED FUSION
THREE-BODY PROBLEM
THRESHOLD ENERGY
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENERGY LEVELS
INELASTIC SCATTERING
IONS
MANY-BODY PROBLEM
MESIC MOLECULES
MOLECULES
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
SCATTERING
SYNTHESIS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
664500* - Special Atoms & Molecules- (1992-)
700360 - Fusion Reactions- (1992-)