The wolfenstein-Gerstein effect in solid protium-deuterium targets
Date
1997
Authors
Maier, Jennifer Maureen
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Abstract
The Wolfenstein-Gerstein effect states that the ratio of the two possible yields from pdµ fusion (pdµ -+ He+ + µ-(5.3MeV) and pdµ -+ Heµ + -r(5.5MeV) ) is dependent on the deuterium concentration of the target. This effect provides a useful way of investigating the multiple processes of the pdµ fusion cycle by measuring the relative yields of gammas and muons for different target concentrations. By comparing the data to calculations obtained from a kinetics program, it was possible to fit key pdµ fusion cycle rates, including the gamma branch fusion rates and the muon's rate of transfer from p -+ d. Results suggest that the importance of µd emission from the solid target, due to the Ramsauer-Townsend effect, was previously underestimated.