New Perspectives in Muonium Chemical Reactions

Abstract

One can produce two "isotopes" of the H atom utilizing positive or negative muons, "muonium (0.114 amu) and "muonic helium (4.11 amu)." These isotopes can be used to probe large isotope effects with the mass ratio range exceeding the values of H/D/T isotopes. Due to the extremely small mass of Mu, chemical reactions where a hydrogen atom is replaced by Mu frequently show large quantum mass effects including zero-point energy and tunneling. In addition, there are anomalous examples, by Mu-substitution, where the reaction products are changed and the transition state is energetically stabilized.