On the mechanism of muonium formation in liquid water

The experimental data on the influence of some solutes in water on formation probabilities of muonium, positronium and radiolytic hydrogen are compared. It is shown that the inhibiting action is very similar in all cases. This means that the formation mechanisms of muonium, positronium and radiolytic hydrogen have common features. Taking into account that the formation of radiolytic hydrogen and that of positronium proceeds via recombination mechanism with unsolvated electron as one of the precursors, it is asserted that the muonium formation mechanism is similar. (author)