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A First Experimental Limit On The Relative Rates Of Muon Capture On Deuterium From The Quartet And Doublet Hyperfine Spin States Of The Μd Atom, Ray Kreswell Neely

Theses and Dissertations--Physics and Astronomy

The MuSun experiment will determine the muon capture rate on deuterium (µ− + d → n + n + ν_µ) from the doublet hyperfine spin state, Λ_d, of muonic deuterium to a precision of 1.5%. Muon capture can occur from either the quartet or doublet state of the 1S orbital of the µd atom; however, the V-A nature of the process strongly suppresses the rate of capture from the quartet state, Λ_q. Muons in ultrapure deuterium gas may also catalyze d+d → ³He+n fusion through the formation …