Atomic capture of negative mesons. I

The Fermi-Teller model is developed for describing the initial atomic capture and subsequent deexcitation of negative mesons. This enables the prediction of 'initial' distribution for the lowest, quantum-mechanical part of the cascade. The results are fairly close to the traditional ad hoc 'statistical' distribution. Advantages and shortcomings of the Fermi-Teller model are discussed. (Auth.)