Excited muonic atoms in mixtures of hydrogen isotopes

The rates of deexcitation of muonic hydrogen atoms and the rates of muon transfer in the excited atomic states to other nuclei are calculated. The calculations are performed in the quasiclassical approach in the complex plane of the internuclear distance. The rates of muon transfer to helium are determined both with and without inclusion of electron screening and compared with the experimental values for the transfer from protium to the 4He. It is also shown that, in accordance with earlier results, the rates of Coulomb deexcitation for n ≤ 5 are significantly smaller than those of Auger and radiative transitions. 19 refs., 4 tabs. (author)