(a)
Given that, any tangent to the circle $x^{2} + y^{2} = b^{2}$ is$y = mx - b\sqrt{1 + m^{2}}$. It touches the circle $(x - a)^{2} + y^{2} = b^{2}$, then
$\frac{ma - b\sqrt{1 + m^{2}}}{\sqrt{m^{2} + 1}} = b$
$\Rightarrow ma = 2b\sqrt{1 + m^{2}}$
$\Rightarrow m^{2}a^{2} = 4b^{2} + 4b^{2}m^{2}$
$\therefore\ \ m = \pm \frac{2b}{\sqrt{a^{2} - 4b^{2}}}$