High-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors were used to make a precise measurement of the gamma-ray spectrum produced following ordinary (nonradiative) capture of negative muons by natural Se, Kr, Cd, and Sm. The measurement was repeated for isotopically enriched Ti-48,Se-76,Kr-82,Cd-106, and(150)Sm targets. By investigating energy and time distributions, the lifetime of negative muons in the different isotopes was deduced. A detailed analysis of the intensity of the gamma lines enabled the extraction of the relative yields of several daughter nuclei. The partial rates of (mu(-),nu) capture to numerous excited levels of the Sc-48,As-76,Br-82,Ag-106 and Tc-150 isotopes (considered to be virtual states of the intermediate odd-odd nuclei in the beta beta decay of Ca-48,Ge-76,Se-82,Cd-106 and Nd-150, respectively) were also extracted. These rates are important as an experimental input for the theoretical calculation of the nuclear matrix elements in beta beta decay.
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