First measurement of a long-lived $π^+ π^-$ atom lifetime

Abstract

The adapted DIRAC experiment at the CERN PS accelerator observed for the first time long-lived hydrogen-like $π^+π^-$ atoms, produced by protons hitting a beryllium target. A part of these atoms crossed the gap of 96~mm and got broken up in the 2.1~\textmu{}m thick platinum foil. Analysing the observed number of atomic pairs, $n_A^L= \left.436^{+157}_{-61}\right|_\mathrm{tot}$, the lifetime of the 2$p$ state is found to be ${τ_{2p}=(\left.0.45^{+1.08}_{-0.30}\right|_\mathrm{tot}) \cdot10^{-11}}$s, not contradicting the corresponding QED $2p$ state lifetime ${τ_{2p}^\mathrm{QED}=1.17 \cdot 10^{-11}}$s. This lifetime value is three orders of magnitude larger than our previously measured value of the $π^+π^-$ atom ground state lifetime $τ=(\left.3.15^{+0.28}_{-0.26}\right|_\mathrm{tot})\cdot 10^{-15}$s. Further studies of long-lived $π^+π^-$ atoms will allow to measure energy differences between $p$ and $s$ atomic states and so to determine $ππ$ scattering lengths with the aim to check QCD predictions.

7 pages, 8 figures