First-forbidden 0+→0-,1- electron capture of /sup 44/Ti

/sup 44/Ti(EC)/sup 44/Sc was studied both experimentally and theoretically. The experimental study--motivated by current interest in first-forbidden beta decay--leads to more precise branching ratios for the electron capture decay to the 0- and 1- levels of /sup 44/Sc as well as to other ancillary results including precision γ-ray energy determinations, γ-ray branching ratios from the 146-keV level of /sup 44/Sc, and lifetimes of the 68- and 146-keV excited states of /sup 44/Sc. Beta and gamma decays were considered in a spherical shell model calculation utilizing 0h-4p and 1h-5p model spaces (relative to /sup 40/Ca). The formulae relating non-unique first-forbidden electron capture decay rates to nuclear matrix elements have apparently never before been applied; therefore, the application is discussed in detail. The model predictions are not in very good agreement with experiment. Possible reasons for the poor agreement are discussed. Nevertheless, the 0+→0- decay provides some further evidence for the existence of a large meson enhancement of the ΔJ = 0 timelike component of the axial current