On the models of Coulomb capture of negative particles

Various models of atomic capture of negative mesonic particles are tested against 321 experimental Coulomb-capture ratios, measured on binary systems: gas mixtures, alloys and simple compounds. The comparison has shown that the general agreement between theory and experiment is not satisfactory. We tried to improve on the models by introducing adjustable parameters to be estimated by fitting the experimental data. The predictions of the model proposed by Schneuwly, Pokrovsky and Ponomarev (SPP) are closest to the atomic capture ratios for alloys and compounds while the data measured in gas mixtures are better approximated by the empirical formula of Vasilyev et al. The theoretical formula of Daniel fails in describing the capture in the light elements.