Formation of the muonic helium atom

Abstract

A full description is given of an experiment in which the muonic helium atom, $^{4}\mathrm{He}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$, was first observed. The method of the experiment was to study the precession of the magnetic moment of negative muons stopped in 14-atm helium with a 2% Xe admixture. A signal at the characteristic Larmor frequency of the atom was observed with an amplitude which corresponds to a muon residual polarization of 5.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.7%. In pure helium at 14 atm, precession characteristic of free muons with a polarization of 5.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.3% was found. The hyperfine structure of $^{4}\mathrm{He}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and the various processes involved in the formation of this atom are also discussed.