Observation of a Discrepancy between Experimentally Determined Atomic Lifetimes and Relativistic Predictions for Highly Ionized Members of the Na I Isoelectronic Sequence

R. Hutton; L. Engström; E. Träbert

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.60.2469

Observation of a Discrepancy between Experimentally Determined Atomic Lifetimes and Relativistic Predictions for Highly Ionized Members of the Na I Isoelectronic Sequence

R. Hutton, L. Engström, and E. Träbert

Phys. Rev. Lett. 60, 2469 – Published 13 June 1988

Abstract

The beam-foil technique has been used to record the intensity decay of the $3 s - 3 p$ and $3 p - 3 d$ transitions in Na-like Ti, Fe, Ni, and Cu. Subsequent analysis using the ANDC-CANDY cascade correction method results in lifetime data for the $3 p {}^{2}P_{\frac{3}{2}}$ level which show a divergence from relativistic calculations as the nuclear charge increases. For the $3 p {}^{2}P_{\frac{1}{2}}$ level, theory and experiment are found to be in better agreement.