What are the average and transition energies for a muonic hydrogen atom?

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the average separation and transition energies for a muonic hydrogen atom, which consists of a muon and a proton. The average separation in the ground state can be derived using the modified Bohr radius formula, specifically a = 4∏ε0h/(206.7*m*e2). For transition energies, the approach involves evaluating the energy levels of the muon, which parallels the electron's energy levels but requires adjustments for the muon's mass. The participants confirm that the average separation scales similarly to that of the electron in a hydrogen atom.

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Average Separation of Muon and Proton

Homework Statement



A muon is a particle with a mass of 206.7 me where me is the electron mass, and with the same charge as an electron. It can be captured in "orbit" by a proton to form a muonic hydrogen atom.
a. Find the average separation <r> of proton and muon in the ground state of the system (in meters).

b. Determine the minimum and maximum bound state transition energies to the ground state of the system, in eV.

Homework Equations



normal hydrogen atom
R10=2a-3/2e-r/a

Y00 = √(1/4pi)
Y01 = √(3/(4pi)cos(θ)
Y1±1 = √(3/(8pi))sinθe^(±iθ)


The Attempt at a Solution



a. For the electron, the average separation would be ∫R10rR10r2dr
Now for the muon, is it simply a plug-in of the Bohr radius a = 4∏ε0[STRIKE]h[/STRIKE]/(206.7*m*e2)?

b. I'm actually not sure how to approach this. Would it be something like doing <Y01|H|Y00>? I could be totally off.

Thanks for any input.
 
Last edited:
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(a) is similar to the electron problem, and the distance just scales as the Bohr radius, indeed.
(b) what are the energy levels of the muon?

You don't need any wavefunctions here.
 

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