Muons and muonium atoms in solid and liquid methane

Journal Article · Thu Feb 26 04:00:00 EST 1987 · J. Phys. Chem.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/j100289a047· OSTI ID:6865774

Jean, Y C; Ganti, R; Stadlbauer, J

Muon and muonium spin rotation experiments have been performed in pure liquid and solid methane between 25 and 138 K. Muonium atoms have been observed for the first time in liquid and solid methane. The muonium formation probabilities are found to be 15-20% in both solid and liquid phases. The depolarization rates of muonium atoms increase slightly as a function of temperature and are interpreted as thermal Mu reaction with methane molecules in liquids and as a spin-lattice interaction in solids. Diamagnetic muon fractions (P/sub D/) are found to be strongly temperature dependent; P/sub D/ increases from 20% at 25 K to 57% at 65 K and stays constant at value 58% above 65 K in both solid and liquid phases. This variation is interpreted as a result of depolarization by muon spin-lattice interactions in methane lattices. An activation energy (52 meV) for spin-lattice relaxation for muons in solid methane was obtained. The diamagnetic fractions of CH/sub 3/Mu and MuH in condensed phase methane were thus calculated to be 38% and 20%, respectively.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Missouri, Kansas City
• OSTI ID: 6865774
• Journal Information: J. Phys. Chem.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Phys. Chem.; (United States) Vol. 91:5; ISSN JPCHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400702* -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry-- Properties of Radioactive Materials
ALKANES
ANTILEPTONS
ANTIMATTER
ANTIPARTICLES
DATA
DIAMAGNETISM
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERMIONS
FLUIDS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
LEPTONS
LIQUIDS
LOW TEMPERATURE
MAGNETISM
METHANE
MUONIUM
MUONS
MUONS PLUS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORIENTATION
RELAXATION
SOLIDS
SPIN ORIENTATION
SPIN-LATTICE RELAXATION
SPIN-SPIN RELAXATION
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
VERY LOW TEMPERATURE