New search for the spontaneous conversion of muonium to antimuonium

Journal Article · Mon May 27 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Physical Review Letters; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.66.2716· OSTI ID:5795344

Matthias, B E; Ahn, H E; Badertscher, A; Chmely, F; Eckhause, M; Hughes, V W; Jungmann, K P; Kane, J R; Kettell, S H; Kuang, Y; Mundinger, H; Ni, B; Orth, H; zu Putlitz, G; Schaefer, H R; Witkowski, M T; Woodle, K A ^[1]

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1. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520 (US) Physikalisches Institut der Universitaet Heidelberg, D-6900 Heidelberg, Germany College of William Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185 Gesellschaft fuer Schwerionenforschung, D-6100 Darmstadt 11, Germany Paul-Scherrer-Institut, CH-5234 Villigen, Switzerland Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973

To search for spontaneous conversion of muonium to antimuonium with very low background, a new signature was implemented that required the coincident detection of the decay products of the antimuonium atom, the energetic {ital e}{sup {minus}} and the atomic {ital e}{sup +}. No conversion events were seen, which sets an improved upper limit of 6.5{times}10{sup {minus}7} (90% C.L.) on the conversion probability. The corresponding limit on the coupling constant, using a {ital V}{minus}{ital A} form for the conversion Hamiltonian, is {ital G}{sub {ital M}{ital {bar M}}}{lt}0.16{ital G}{sub {ital F}} (90% C.L.), where {ital G}{sub {ital F}} is the Fermi coupling constant.

• OSTI ID: 5795344
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review Letters; (USA) Vol. 66:21; ISSN PRLTA; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640303* -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Positronium
Muonium
& Muonic & Mesic Atoms & Molecules
645102 -- High Energy Physics-- Particle Interactions & Properties-Experimental-- Weak Interactions & Properties
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION
DATA
DETECTION
ELECTRON DETECTION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HAMILTONIANS
INFORMATION
INTERACTIONS
LIMITING VALUES
MATHEMATICAL OPERATORS
MATRIX ELEMENTS
MUONIUM
NUMERICAL DATA
QUANTUM OPERATORS
RADIATION DETECTION
TIME-OF-FLIGHT METHOD
V-A THEORY
WEAK INTERACTIONS