No Arabic abstract
The first direct experimental observation of an electric quadrupole ($textit{E}$2) transition between bound states of an atomic negative ion has been made. The transition was observed in the negative ion of bismuth by resonant (1+1) photodetachment from Bi$^-$ $^3textit{P}_2$ via excitation of the Bi$^-$ $^3textit{P}_0$ fine structure state. The $textit{E}$2 transition properties were independently calculated using a hybrid theoretical approach to account for the strong multi-level electron interactions and relativistic effects. The experimental and theoretical results are in excellent agreement, providing valuable new insights into this complex system and forbidden transitions in negative ions.
Bilodeau and Haugan [1], using Infrared laser photodetachment spectroscopy, measured the binding energies (BEs) of the ground state (4Fe9/2) and the excited state (4Fe7/2) of the Os^- ion to be 1.07780(12) eV and 0.553(3) eV, respectively. These values are consistent with those calculated using Relativistic Configuration Interaction (RCI) calculations [2]. Here we have calculated the BEs for the ground state and the two excited states of the Os^- ion using our recent complex angular momentum (CAM) methodology [3] and obtained the BEs of 1.910, 1.230 and 0.224 eV, respectively (see Figure). We conclude that: 1) the measured value of 1.07780(12) eV corresponds to an excited state of Os^- and not to the EA of Os and 2) the EA of Os is 1.910 eV.
We report the observation of dipole-forbidden, but quadrupole-allowed, one-photon transitions to high Rydberg states in Rb. Using pulsed UV excitation of ultracold atoms in a magneto-optical trap, we excite $5s to nd$ transitions over a range of principal quantum numbers $n=27-59$. Compared to dipole-allowed (E1) transitions from $5s to np$, these E2 transitions are weaker by a factor of approximately 2000. We also report measurements of the anomalous $np_{3/2} : np_{1/2}$ fine-structure transition strength ratio for $n=28-75$. Both results are in agreement with theoretical predictions.
Recent advances in the high sensitivity spectroscopy have made it possible, in combination with accurate theoretical predictions, to observe for the first time very weak electric quadrupole transitions in a polar polyatomic molecule of water. Here we present accurate theoretical predictions of the complete quadrupole ro-vibrational spectrum of a non-polar molecule CO$_2$, important in atmospheric and astrophysical applications. Our predictions are validated by recent cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy measurements and are used to assign few weak features in the recent ExoMars ACS MIR spectroscopic observations of the martian atmosphere. Predicted quadrupole transitions appear in some of the mid-infrared CO$_2$ and water vapor transparency regions, making them important for detection and characterization of the minor absorbers in water- and CO$_2$-rich environments, such as present in the atmospheres of Earth, Venus and Mars.
We have measured the hyperfine structure and isotope shifts of the 402.0 nm and 399.6 nm resonance lines in 229Th+. These transitions could provide pathways towards the 229Th isomeric nuclear state excitation. An unexpected negative isotope shift relative to 232Th+ is observed for the 399.6 nm line, indicating a strong Coulomb coupling of the excited state to the nucleus. We have developed a new all-order approach to the isotope shift calculations that is generally applicable to heavy atoms and ions with several valence electrons. The theoretical calculations provide an explanation for the negative isotope shift of the 399.6 nm transition and yield a corrected classification of the excited state. The calculated isotope shifts are in good agreement with experimental values.
The values of nuclear electric quadrupole moment are different by about 7% for 87Sr nucleus between the recommended value [N. J. Stone, At. Data Nucl. Data Tables 111-112, 1 (2016); P. Pyykko, Mol. Phys. 116, 1328 (2018)] and earlier results [e.g. A. M. Matensson-Pendrill, J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 35, 917 (2002); K. Z. Yu et al., Phys. Rev. A 70, 012506 (2004)]. In this work, we reported a new value, Q(87Sr) = 328(4) mb, making use of our calculated electric field gradients produced by electrons at nucleus in combination with experimental values for hyperfine structures of the 5s5p 3P1,2 states of the neutral Sr atom. In the framework of the multi-configuration Dirac-Hartree-Fock theory, the electron correlations were taken into account systematically so as to control the uncertainties of the electric field gradient at about 1% level. The present result is different from the recommended value, but in excellent agreement with those by Matensson-Pendrill and Yu et al.. We would recommend the present Q value as a reference for 87Sr.