Break-up channels in muon capture on He-3

The mu(-) + H-2 -> nu(mu)+ n + n, mu(-) + He-3 -> nu(mu)+ H-3, mu(-) + He-3 -> nu(mu)+ n + d, and mu(-) + He-3 -> nu(mu) + n + n + p capture reactions are studied with various realistic potentials under full inclusion of final-state interactions. Our results for the two- and three-body break-up of He-3 are calculated with a variety of nucleon-nucleon potentials, among which is the AV18 potential, augmented by the Urbana IX three-nucleon potential. Most of our results are based on the single-nucleon weak-current operator. As a first step, we tested our calculation in the case of the mu(-) + H-2 -> nu(mu)+ n + n and mu(-) + He-3 -> nu(mu) + H-3 reactions, for which theoretical predictions obtained in a comparable framework are available. Additionally, we have been able to obtain for the first time a realistic estimate for the total rates of the muon capture reactions on 3He in the break-up channels: 544 s(-1) and 154 s(-1) for the n + d and n + n + p channels, respectively. Our results are compared with the most recent experimental data, finding a rough agreement for the total capture rates, but failing to reproduce the differential capture rates.