Semi-empirical analysis of leptons in gases in crossed electric and magnetic fields, Part II: Transverse compression of muon beams

Abstract

This article employs fluid equations to analyse muon beams in gases subject to crossed electric and magnetic fields, focussing in particular on a scheme proposed by D. Taqqu in 2006, whereby transverse compression of the beam is achieved by creating a density gradient in the gas. A general criterion for maximising beam compression, derived from first principles, is then applied to determine optimal experimental conditions for {\mu ^ +} in helium gas. Although the calculations require input of transport data for ({\mu ^ +}, He), which are generally unavailable, this issue is circumvented by "aliasing" ({\mu ^ +}, He) with (H{^ +}, He), for which transport coefficient data are available.