Re: Can we see the twin dying?

On Oct 30, 12:29 am, Tom Roberts <tjroberts...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Sid wrote:
"Tom Roberts" <tjroberts...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:M6dVi.2510$%Z2.1821@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Negative muons captured in a muonic atom (a mu- replaces an e-) decay
more rapidly than do free muons. The lifetime of an AL-mu atom is
about 0.88 us (the free muon lifetime is 2.2 us; the muons in a
storage ring are "free" as far as decay rate is concerned).

Why would the muon in a muonic atom decay more rapidly?

I'm not sure of the details, only that weak interactions with the
nucleus are involved. Higher Z => shorter lifetime.

What is an AL-muon atom? What does AL stand for?

typo: I meant Al, aluminum.

Also, when you say ''the free muon lifetime is 2.2 us'' I guess you mean
a free muon at rest (as opposed to a ''free muon'' moving in a storage
ring).

Yes, of course. We always describe the properties of a particle
(lifetime, mass, charge, spin, ...) in its rest frame, unless explicitly
stated otherwise.

Tom Roberts

I really ponder on this time dilation phenomena:

#1. gravity's time dilation could possibly suggest that an external
force (gravity, magnetism, electrical) could slow down a ticking
mechanism meaning it's the force itself causing motion (clock's arms,
etc) to slow down. Harder for the mechanical arms (even a photon) to
generate motion due to gravity.

#2. kinetic time dilation, I imagine a round glass with water inside
full of holes, thus the faster the glass moves the harder for the
water to pour out (or vice-versa, the faster the water pours out), for
a muon the water pouring out would represent it's energy depletion
(through RADIATION = radiating/emitting energy away).


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