Mechanism forμ+Depolarization in Liquids—Muonium Chemistry with Radical Formation

Abstract

The phenomenon of environment-dependent "fast" depolarization of stopped positive muons is described in terms of a theoretical model. The formalism is similar to that developed by Ivanter and Smilga to describe the "proper muonium mechanism," but has been adapted and expanded to include situations involving more than one strongly depolarizing influence (i.e., muonium and a molecular radical). For a plausible situation in dilute solutions with transverse applied magnetic field, the exact time dependence of the muon polarization is derived formally, with the "residual polarization" emerging as a limit. The result can be applied to the study of muonium chemistry.