Shell model study of $^{40}$Ca muon capture and the $(0^+, 0)$$\to$$(0^-, 2626)$ axial charge transition

Abstract

We report results from shell model studies of muon capture on $^{40}$Ca to low-lying levels of $^{40}$K. We discuss the comparison between calculated capture rates, measured capture rates and analogous transitions in ($e$,$e^{\prime}$) scattering in terms of the particle-hole structure of the $^{40}$Ca-$^{40}$K nuclei. We highlight the $^{40}$Ca$(0^+, 0)$$\to$$^{40}$K$(0^-, 2626)$ axial charge transition and its sensitivity to the induced pseudoscalar coupling $g_p$ of the proton's weak interaction. In addition, we address the hindrance of unique first-forbidden transitions due to particle-hole interactions and the emergence of allowed Gamow-Teller transitions due to ground state correlations. Lastly, we examine the longitudinal alignment of $^{40}$K recoils following muon capture, and discuss this possibility for independently determining the induced coupling $g_p$.