Precision X-ray spectroscopy of kaonic atoms as a probe of low-energy kaon-nucleus interaction

In the exotic atoms where one atomic 1s electron is replaced by a K−, the strong interaction between the K− and the nucleus introduces an energy shift and broadening of the low-lying kaonic atomic levels which are determined by only the electromagnetic interaction. By performing X-ray spectroscopy for Z = 1,2 kaonic atoms, the SIDDHARTA experiment determined with high precision the shift and width for the 1s state of K− p and the 2p state of kaonic helium-3 and kaonic helium-4. These results provided unique information of the kaon-nucleus interaction in the low energy limit