Electron State Effects on The Formation Process of Muonic Atom

Abstract

A muon can make atomic orbit in the same way as an electron due to its negative charge and form a muonic atom. Because a muon has 207 times higher mass than that of an electron, the muon atomic orbit is very close to the nucleus. However, interestingly, it is known that the formation process of the muonic atom is influenced by the electron state of the muon capturing atom; the muon capture probability and the initial atomic level of the captured muon differ depending on the molecule even if the muon is captured on the same atom. Various studies on the electron state effects on the formation process of muonic atom have been done and recently the influence on initial state of the captured muon by the spatial distribution of electrons has been reported. In this paper, the chemical studies on the formation process of muonic atom are reviewed.