Capture of muons with high energy transfer (μ^-,pn) on the ₂₀⁴⁰Ca

As several Russian experiments had shown that the capture of mesons of negative charge in some target nuclei (Si, S, Ca, Cu, Pb) could lead to the emission of high energy protons and neutrons (a kinetic energy higher than 30 MeV), the author reports a preliminary measurement of the capture or a negatively charged muon in a K orbit around a nucleus, actually a capture with a simultaneous emission of a proton and a neutron, and of a neutrino with an as low as possible energy. After having outlined the interest of such an experiment, the author describes the kinematics of capture of a resting muon, the production of muons, the experimental assembly, the experiment and the associated electronics. Results are interpreted