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Related Concept Videos

Nuclear Transmutation03:20

Nuclear Transmutation

Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed protons being...
Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations03:18

Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations

Nuclear chemistry is the study of reactions that involve changes in nuclear structure. The nucleus of an atom is composed of protons and, except for hydrogen, neutrons. The number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number (Z) of the element, and the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are isotopes of the same element.
A nuclide of an element has a specific number of protons and...
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution01:14

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Spin State Population Distribution

Near absolute zero temperatures, in the presence of a magnetic field, the majority of nuclei prefer the lower energy spin-up state to the higher energy spin-down state. As temperatures increase, the energy from thermal collisions distributes the spins more equally between the two states. The Boltzmann distribution equation gives the ratio of the number of spins predicted in the spin −½ (N−) and spin +½ (N+) states.
Types of Radioactivity03:23

Types of Radioactivity

The most common types of radioactivity are α decay, β decay, γ decay, neutron emission, and electron capture.
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Nuclear Stability03:18

Nuclear Stability

Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters.
To hold positively charged protons together in the...
Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes01:23

Atomic Nuclei: Nuclear Relaxation Processes

In the absence of an external magnetic field, nuclear spin states are degenerate and randomly oriented. When a magnetic field is applied, the spins begin to precess and orient themselves along (lower energy) or against (higher energy) the direction of the field. At equilibrium, a slight excess population of spins exists in the lower energy state. Because the direction of the magnetic field is fixed as the z-axis,  the precessing magnetic moments are randomly oriented around the z-axis. This...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh
10:42

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh

Published on: May 3, 2019

Testing parity with atomic radiative capture of μ(-).

David McKeen1, Maxim Pospelov

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada.

Physical Review Letters
|September 26, 2012
PubMed
Summary

High-intensity muon beams enable testing parity-violating interactions. Direct radiative capture of muons into atomic 2S orbitals allows for gamma ray asymmetry measurements, offering a direct parity test.

Area of Science:

  • Nuclear Physics
  • Particle Physics
  • Atomic Physics

Background:

  • Next-generation intensity frontier facilities will produce high-intensity subrelativistic muon beams.
  • Parity violation in muon-nucleus interactions is a key area for fundamental physics research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the feasibility of testing parity-violating interactions using direct radiative muon capture.
  • To explore the potential of using intense muon beams and specific targets for parity violation measurements.

Main Methods:

  • Simulating direct radiative capture of muons into atomic 2S orbitals.
  • Calculating gamma ray angular asymmetry in the 2S(1/2)-1S(1/2) transition.
  • Accounting for finite nuclear size effects in capture probability.

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Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models
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Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models

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Visualization of Low-Level Gamma Radiation Sources Using a Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity, Omnidirectional Compton Camera
06:28

Visualization of Low-Level Gamma Radiation Sources Using a Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity, Omnidirectional Compton Camera

Published on: January 30, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh
10:42

Preparing an Isotopically Pure 229Th Ion Beam for Studies of 229mTh

Published on: May 3, 2019

Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models
07:46

Setting Limits on Supersymmetry Using Simplified Models

Published on: November 15, 2013

Visualization of Low-Level Gamma Radiation Sources Using a Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity, Omnidirectional Compton Camera
06:28

Visualization of Low-Level Gamma Radiation Sources Using a Low-Cost, High-Sensitivity, Omnidirectional Compton Camera

Published on: January 30, 2020

Main Results:

  • Direct radiative muon capture can dominate over standard muonic atom cascades.
  • Atomic capture preserves longitudinal muon polarization, crucial for parity testing.
  • The single-photon 2S(1/2)-1S(1/2) transition in muonic atoms can be detected.

Conclusions:

  • Intense muon beams and Z~30 targets offer a novel method for testing parity violation.
  • This method provides a direct test of parity via gamma ray angular asymmetry.
  • The proposed technique is feasible with current muon facilities.