About   Contents   Introduction   Synopsis   Search   Subject Index   Summaries   Texts

WILLIAMS 1940

Williams, E.J.; Roberts, G.E.;
Evidence for Transformation of Mesotrons into Electrons
Nature 145 (1940) 102;

Motivation
One of the outstanding questions regarding the mesotron is that of its ultimate fate. Certain properties of this particle are remarkably like those of the hypothetical particle assumed by Yukawa in his theory of nuclear forces and -disintegration, and this has led to the view that the two may be identical. Within a rather large experimental error they have the same mass, and both are unstable in the free state, having an average life of the order of 10^-6 seconds. The disappearance of the particle of Yukawa's theory at the end of its life takes place through its transformation into an electron and a neutrino, and it is regarding this that hitherto there has been no evidence of a parallel between it and the mesotron of cosmic rays. In fact, existing experimental evidence has rather gone to show that mesotrons suffer at the end of their life, some other fate than befalls the Yukawa particle.
With the object of obtaining information on this crucial point we constructed a large cloud-chamber (24 in. diameter, 20 in. deep) which, with its large sensitive period and volume, might catch a cosmic ray mesotron coming to the end of its range in the gas of the chamber. A recent photograph taken with this shows a mesotron track terminating in the gas as desired. From its end there emerges a fast electron track, the kinetic energy of which is very much greater than the kinetic energy of the mesotron, but is comparable with its mass energy. This indicates that the mesotron transforms into an electron, in which case the remarkable parallel between the mesotron and the Yukawa particle is taken one stage further. In terms of Yukawa's theory, the phenomenon observed may be described as a disintegration of the mesotron with the emission of an electron, thus constituting the most elementary form of -disintegration. (Extracted from the introductory part of the paper.).

Accelerator COSM Detectors CLOUD

Reactions

– e– neutral (neutrals)

Particles studied

	–	w
	+	w

Record comments
First observation of muon decay.

New Comments List of Comments About   Contents   Introduction   Synopsis   Search   Subject Index   Summaries   Texts