First Direct Observation of Strong Interaction Spin-Orbit Effects in Antiprotonic Atoms

The strong ¯p-nucleus spin-orbit interaction was investigated in a measurement of the strong-interaction effects of the 9→8 transition in ¯p174Yb at the Low-Energy Antiproton Ring (LEAR) at CERN. This measurement was part of an experimental programme where, for the first time, the fine-structure components of the last observable X-ray transition in a ¯p atom, which carries information on the strong ¯p-nucleus interaction, were resolved and studied individually. The observed splitting ΔEexp=2408±26 eV consists of the electromagnetic fine-structure splitting ΔEFS=2350 eV and an additional splitting Δɛ=58±26 eV. In addition, one finds a significant difference in the level widths of Δ=195±59 eV with the larger value⇊=1216±41 eV for the lower fine-structure level. This experiment follows an earlier measurement on ¯p138Ba, where the transition 8→7 is influenced by the strong interaction. In this case, however, the fine-structure components could not be resolved. The results for174Yb may be attributed to a spin-orbit (LS) term in the complex strong-interaction potential.