Total rates of nuclear capture of negative muons in the isotopes Xe-132 and Ar-40

The lifetimes of a negative muon in the isotopes Xe-132 and Ar-40 in the so lid phase are measured. The lifetime of mu(-) in the 1s state of the isotop e Xe-132 is tau(Xe-132) = 101.7 +/- 1.7 ns, which corresponds to a total nu clear capture rate Lambda(c) (Xe-132) = 9.4 +/- 0.2 mu s(-1). The lifetime of mu(-) in the isotope Ar-40, viz., tau(Ar-40) = 568 +/- 6 ns, correspondi ng to a capture rate Lambda(c) (Ar-40) = 1.31 +/- 0.01 mu s(-1), is obtaine d to several times better accuracy as compared to previously published resu lts. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics.