Test of many-electron QED effects in the hyperfine splitting of heavy high-Z ions

A rigorous evaluation of the two-photon exchange corrections to the hyperfine structure in lithiumlike heavy ions is presented. As a result, the theoretical accuracy of the specific difference between the hyperfine splitting values of H- and Li-like Bi ions is significantly improved. This opens a possibility for the stringent test of the many-electron QED effects on a few percent level in the strongest electromagnetic field presently available in experiments.     

Relativistic electron correlation, quantum electrodynamics, and the lifetime of the 1s(2)2s(2)2p2p0(3/2) level in boronlike argon

The lifetime of the Ar13+ 1s(2)2s(2)2p2p0(3/2) metastable level was determined at the Heidelberg Electron Beam Ion Trap to be 9.573(4)(5). The accuracy level of one per thousand makes this measurement sensitive to quantum electrodynamic effects like the electron anomalous magnetic moment (EAMM) and to relativistic electron-electron correlation effects like the frequency-dependent Breit interaction. Theoretical predictions, adjusted for the EAMM, cluster about a lifetime that is approximately shorter than our experimental result.     

Electrical transport and magnetic ordering in R 2Ti3Ge4 (R=Dy, Ho and Er) compounds

New R ₂Ti₃Ge₄ (R=Dy, Ho and Er) intermetallic compounds have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction and low temperature ac magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power measurements were carried out. The compounds crystallize in the parent, Sm₅Ge₄-type orthorhombic structure (space group Pnma) and lanthanide contraction is observed as one moves along the rare-earth series. The changeover from paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic phase happens at low temperatures and the ordering temperature scales with the de Gennes factor. The electrical resistivity is metallic with a negative curvature above 100 K. Thermopower displays a weak maximum at temperatures less than 50 K signifying the possible phonon and magnon drag effects.     

Hyperfine structure of lithium-like scandium

The hyperfine structure of the ground state of the lithium-like scandium ion (Z = 21) is considered. The effects of electron-electron interaction are taken into account in the first order in 1/Z using the quantum electrodynamic perturbation theory and in higher orders using the method of configuration interaction in the Dirac-Fock-Sturm basis. One-loop radiative corrections are calculated in all orders in αZ with an effective local screening potential. The corrections for the finite nuclear size and the distribution of the magnetic moment over the nucleus have been refined.     

Exploring relativistic many-body recoil effects in highly charged ions

The relativistic recoil effect has been the object of experimental investigations using highly charged ions at the Heidelberg electron beam ion trap. Its scaling with the nuclear charge Z boosts its contribution to a measurable level in the magnetic-dipole (M1) transitions of B- and Be-like Ar ions. The isotope shifts of 36Ar versus 40Ar have been detected with sub-ppm accuracy, and the recoil effect contribution was extracted from the 1s(2)2s(2)2p 2P(1/2) - 2P(3/2) transition in Ar13+ and the 1s(2)2s2p 3P1-3P2 transition in Ar14+. The experimental isotope shifts of 0.00123(6) nm (Ar13+) and 0.00120(10) nm (Ar14+) are in agreement with our present predictions of 0.00123(5) nm (Ar13+) and 0.00122(5) nm (Ar14+) based on the total relativistic recoil operator, confirming that a thorough understanding of correlated relativistic electron dynamics is necessary even in a region of intermediate nuclear charges.     

Radiative and interelectronic-interaction corrections to the hyperfine splitting in highly charged B-like ions

The ground-state hyperfine splitting values of high-Z boronlike ions are calculated. Calculation of the interelectronic-interaction contribution is based on a combination of the 1/Z perturbation theory and the large-scale configuration-interaction Dirac-Fock-Sturm method. The screened QED corrections are evaluated utilizing an effective screening potential approach. Total hyperfine splitting energies are presented for several B-like ions of particular interest: ⁴⁵Sc¹⁶⁺, ⁵⁷Fe²¹⁺, ²⁰⁷Pb⁷⁷⁺, and ²⁰⁹Bi⁷⁸⁺. For lead and bismuth the experimental values of the 1s hyperfine splitting are employed to improve significantly the theoretical results by reducing the uncertainty due to the nuclear effects.     

Extension of the sum rule for the transition rates between multiplets to the multiphoton case

The sum rule for the transition rates between the components of two multiplets, known for the one-photon transitions, is extended to the multiphoton transitions in hydrogen and hydrogen-like ions. As an example the transitions 3p–2p, 4p–3p and 4d–3d are considered. The numerical results are compared with previous calculations.     

Radiative corrections to the magnetic-dipole transition amplitude in B-like ions

The one-electron quantum-electrodynamic corrections to the magnetic-dipole transition amplitude between the fine-structure levels (1s² 2s² 2p) ²P_3/2 - ²P_1/2 in boronlike ions are calculated to all orders in αZ. The results obtained serve for improving the theoretical accuracy of the lifetime of the (1s² 2s² 2p) ²P_3/2 level in boronlike argon.