Diffusion radius of muonic hydrogen atoms in H-D gas

Abstract

The diffusion radius of the 1S muonic hydrogen atoms in gaseous H_2 targets with various deuterium admixtures has been determined for temperatures T=30 and 300 K. The Monte Carlo calculations have been performed using the partial differential crosssections for $pμ$ and $dμ$ atom scattering from the molecules H$_2$, HD and D$_2$. These cross sections include hyperfine transitions in the muonic atoms, the muon exchange between the nuclei $p$ and $d$, and rotational-vibrational transitions in the target molecules. The Monte Carlo results have been used for preparing the time-projection chamber for the high-precision measurement of the nuclear $μ^{-}$ capture in the ground-state $pμ$ atom, which is now underway at the Paul Scherrer Institute.