Decay of metastable states in Nd II

• Published in: The European physical journal. D, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 211 - 219
• Main Authors: BIEMONT, E, ELLMANN, A, LUNDIN, P, MANNERVIK, S, NORLIN, L.-O, PALMERI, P, QUINET, P, ROSTOHAR, D, ROYEN, P, SCHEF, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Les Ulis Springer 01-02-2007; Bologna Società italiana di fisica; Berlin EDP sciences; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Atomic and molecular beam sources and techniques; Atomic and molecular physics; Atomic properties and interactions with photons; Decay; Electron correlation calculations for atoms and molecules; Electronic structure of atoms, molecules and their ions: theory; Exact sciences and technology; Heavy elements; Heavy ions; Intensities and shapes of atomic spectral lines; Mechanical control of atoms, molecules and ions; Metastable state; Oscillator strengths, lifetimes, transition moments; Physics; Storage rings (particle accelerators); Forbidden transitions; Electron correlations; Heavy ions; Metastable states; Neodymium Atomic ions; Storage rings; Radiative lifetimes; Experimental study
• ISSN: 1434-6060; 1434-6079
• DOI: 10.1140/epjd/e2006-00229-5

The difficulty associated with an accurate determination of transition rates for forbidden lines in lowly ionized heavy elements is illustrated in the case of Nd II. We have investigated the radiative decay of the low-lying metastable levels in Nd+ including the two levels K11/2 and I13/2. In these two particular cases, using different theoretical approaches, we find that the decay is dominated by the M1 channels but that the E2 contributions are of the same order of magnitude. These levels have also been studied experimentally by lifetime measurements with the heavy ion storage ring CRYRING of Stockholm University. The difficulties encountered when performing such experiments are underlined and discussed.