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Nuclear Structure Effects in Light Muonic Atoms


  Nir Nevo Dinur [1]  ,  Chen Ji [2]  ,  Oscar Javier Hernandez [2,3]  ,  Sonia Bacca [2,3]  ,  Nir Barnea [1]  
 [1] The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
[2] TRIUMF, Vancouver, Canada
[3] University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

The most precise determination of the proton charge radius, from a novel muonic hydrogen (µ-1H) spectroscopy experiment [1], disagrees with previous spectroscopy and scattering experiments done with electrons. The 7σ discrepancy between the muonic and electronic values, known as the “proton radius puzzle”, may be the result of some new physics [2]. In order to investigate this, experiments with other muonic atoms are being conducted [3]. These experiments must rely on accurate theoretical predictions. In particular, their precision is ultimately limited by the nuclear structure effects. We have calculated these effects for several muonic atoms with A=2,3,4 nucleons, using state-of-the-art nuclear potentials, significantly improving previous estimates [4,5,6]. These results will be presented and discussed.

 

References

  1. R. Pohl, et al., Nature (London) 466, 213 (2010); A. Antognini et al., Science 339, 417 (2013).

  2. R. Pohl, R. Gilman, G. A. Miller, and K. Pachucki, Ann. Rev. of Nucl. and Part. Sci. 63, 175 (2013).

  3. A. Antognini et al., Can. J. Phys. 89, 47 (2011).

  4. C. Ji, NND, S. Bacca, and N. Barnea, Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 143402 (2013).

  5. O. J. Hernandez, C. Ji, S. Bacca, NND, and N. Barnea, Phys. Lett. B 736, 344 (2014).

  6. NND, C. Ji, S. Bacca, and N. Barnea, in preparation.