HYPERFINE POPULATIONS PRIOR TO MUON-CAPTURE

It is shown that the 1S level hyperfine populations prior to muon capt ure will be statistical when either target or beam is unpolarized inde pendent of the atomic level at which the hyperfine interaction becomes appreciable. This assertion holds in the absence of magnetic transiti ons during the cascade and is true because of minimal polarization aft er atomic capture and selective feeding during the cascade.