Forbidden M1 and E2 transitions in monovalent atoms and ions

We carried out a systematic high-precision relativistic study of the forbidden magnetic-dipole and electric-quadrupole transitions in Ca+, Rb, Sr+, Cs, Ba+, Fr, Ra+, Ac2+, and Th3+. This work is motivated by the importance of these transitions for tests of fundamental physics and precision measurements. The relative importance of the relativistic, correlation, Breit correction, and contributions of negative-energy states is investigated. Recommended values of reduced matrix elements are presented together with their uncertainties. The matrix elements and resulting lifetimes are compared with other theoretical values and with experiment where available.Comment: 9 pages, 6 table

Relativistic many-body calculation of energies, lifetimes, polarizabilities, blackbody radiative shift and hyperfine constants in Lu2+

Energy levels of 30 low-lying states of Lu2+ and allowed electric-dipole matrix elements between these states are evaluated using a relativistic all-order method in which all single, double and partial triple excitations of Dirac-Fock wave functions are included to all orders of perturbation theory. Matrix elements are critically evaluated for their accuracy and recommended values of the matrix elements are given together with uncertainty estimates. Line strengths, transition rates and lifetimes of the metastable 5d(3/2) and 5d(5/2) states are calculated. Recommended values are given for static polarizabilities of the 6s, 5d and 6p states and tensor polarizabilities of the 5d and 6p(3/2) states. Uncertainties of the polarizability values are estimated in all cases. The blackbody radiation shift of the 6s(1/2)-5d(5/2) transition frequency of the Lu2+ ion is calculated with the aid of the recommended scalar polarizabilities of the 6s(1/2) and 5d(5/2) states. Finally, A and B hyperfine constants are determined for states of 175Lu2+ with n <= 9. This work provides recommended values of transition matrix elements, polarizabilities and hyperfine constants of Lu2+, critically evaluated for accuracy, for benchmark tests of high-precision theoretical methodology and planning of future experiments.Comment: 9 pages, 10 table

Magic wavelengths for optical cooling and trapping of lithium

Using first-principles calculations, we identify magic wavelengths for the 2s-2p and 2s-3p transitions in lithium. The ns and np atomic levels have the same ac Stark shifts at the corresponding magic wavelength, which facilitates state-insensitive optical cooling and trapping. Tune-out wavelengths for which the ground-state frequency-dependent polarizability vanishes are also calculated. Differences of these wavelengths between 6Li and 7Li are reported. Our approach uses high-precision, relativistic all-order methods in which all single, double, and partial triple excitations of the Dirac-Fock wave functions are included to all orders of perturbation theory. Recommended values are provided for a large number of Li electric-dipole matrix elements. Static polarizabilities for the 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, and 3d levels are compared with other theory and experiment where available. Uncertainties of all recommended values are estimated. The magic wavelengths for the uv 2s-3p transition are of particular interest for the production of a quantum gas of lithium [Duarte et al., Phys. Rev. A 84, 061406R (2011)].Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure

Transitions between the 4f4f-core-excited states in Ir16+^{16+}, Ir17+^{17+}, and Ir18+^{18+} ions for clock applications

Iridium ions near $4f$-$5s$ level crossings are the leading candidates for a new type of atomic clocks with a high projected accuracy and a very high sensitivity to the temporal variation of the fine structure constant $\alpha$. To identify spectra of these ions in experiment accurate calculations of the spectra and electromagnetic transition probabilities should be performed. Properties of the $4f$-core-excited states in Ir$^{16+}$, Ir$^{17+}$, and Ir$^{18+}$ ions are evaluated using relativistic many-body perturbation theory and Hartree-Fock-Relativistic method (COWAN code). We evaluate excitation energies, wavelengths, oscillator strengths, and transition rates. Our large-scale calculations includes the following set of configurations: $4f^{14-k}5s^{m}5p^{n}$ with $(k+m+n)$ equal to 3, 2, and 1 for the Ir$^{16+}$, Ir$^{17+}$, and Ir$^{18+}$ ions, respectively. The $5s-5p$ transitions are illustrated by the synthetic spectra in the 180 - 200 \AA range. Large contributions of magnetic-dipole transitions to lifetimes of low-lying states in the region below 2.5 Ry are demonstrated.Comment: 10 page