Laboratory study of the cosmic‐ray muon lifetime Available to Purchase

The cosmic‐ray muon lifetime was measured with a variety of counters designed to study both the free and μ⁻ capture lifetimes. The data were obtained using scintillation detectors and a lead glass detector. These data show the dependence of μ⁻ capture on the atomic number of the chemical element in the detector. The Z dependence of the weak interaction capture process is discussed in terms of the familiar Fermi (ΔJ=0) and Gamow–Teller (ΔJ=1) decays. This experiment was designed for use in advanced undergraduate physics laboratories.