S. Böhm

Isotope shifts in dielectronic recombination: From stable to in-flight-produced nuclei

The study of isotope shifts and hyperfine effects in dielectronic recombination (DR) resonance spectra strikes a conceptually new path for investigations of nuclear properties such as charge radius, spin, magnetic moment of nuclei or lifetimes of long-lived excited nuclear states. A series of DR experiments with heavy three-electron ions (Li-like) was performed at the heavy-ion storage ring ESR of the GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt, Germany. In a pilot experiment the two stable isotopes A=142 and A=150 of neodymium ANd57+ were investigated. From the displacement of DR resonances the isotope shifts δE142,150(2s – 2Pl/2) = 40.2(3)(6) meV and δE142,150(2s – 2p3/2) = 42.3(12)(20) meV for 2s – 2Pj transitions of the Li-like ions have been obtained. An evaluation within a full QED framework yielded a change in the mean-square charge radius of 142,150δ(r2) = −1.36(1)(3) fm2. At GSI, in addition to stable isotopes, in-flight synthesized radioisotopes can be studied as well. The production of radioisotopes of interest, the subsequent separation in the storage ring ESR and first DR experiments with the exotic nuclei 237U89+ and 234Pa88+ (Z=91) are presented. The paper is concluded with a brief outlook at future DR experiments with heavy radioisotopes at the ESR.

Experimental N V and Ne VIII low-temperature dielectronic recombination rate coefficients

The dielectronic recombination rate coefficients of Nv and Ne viii ions have been measured at a heavy-ion storage ring. The investigated energy ranges covered all dielectronic recombination resonances attached to 2s -> 2p (delta_n = 0) core excitations. The rate coefficients in a plasma are derived and parameterized by using a convenient fit formula. The experimentally derived rate coefficients are compared with theoretical data by Colgan et al. (2004, A&A, 417, 1183) and Nahar & Pradhan (1997, ApJ, 111, 339) as well as with the recommended rate coefficients by Mazzotta et al. (1998, A&A, 133, 403). The data of Colgan et al. and Nahar & Pradhan reproduce the experiment very well over the temperature ranges where Nv and Ne viii are expected to exist in photoionized as well as in collisionally ionized plasmas. In contrast the recommendation of Mazzotta et al. agrees with the experimental rate coefficient only in the collisionally ionized temperature range. At lower temperatures it deviates from the measured rate coefficient by orders of magnitude. In addition the influence of external electric fields with field strengths up to 1300 V/cm on the dielectronic recombination rate coefficient has been investigated.

Autoionizing high-Rydberg states of very heavy Be-like ions: A tool for precision spectroscopy

Abstract Autoionizing high-Rydberg states formed during the initial electron capture phase of dielectronic recombination (DR) provide a unique access to spectroscopic information of highly charged heavy ions. This paper summarizes recent experimental and theoretical studies on the low energy 1s22pjnlj′ (j=1/2, 3/2) Be-like DR resonances associated with the 2s1/2→2pj core excitations of the Li-like ions 197 79 Au76+, 208 92 Pb79+ and 238 92 U89+. An extrapolation of the resonance energies of the 1s22p1/2nlj′ (n⩾20) Rydberg series to the series limits (n→∞) yields the 2s1/2–2p1/2 transition energies. The experimental precision of below 100 meV for all three ions obtained with this photonfree spectroscopic method is comparable to the best optical measurements available and allows to test quantum electrodynamics of strong central fields on a level of below 7% of the α2 contributions. Furthermore, our theoretical calculations show that the observed DR resonance positions sensitively depend on the charge distribution within the atomic nucleus.

Measurement of the field-induced dielectronic recombination rate enhancement of N4+ ions differential in the Rydberg quantum number n

Field-enhanced dielectronic recombination (DR) cross-sections differential in the main quantum number n have been measured for N4+ ions. The n-differential data were obtained at the heavy ion storage ring CRYRING by increasing the ion energy in two steps from 3 to 5 MeV/u and from 5 to 7.5 MeV/u. The accompanying increase of the magnetic field in the storage – ring dipole magnets leads to a decrease of the cutoff quantum number nc associated with the field ionization of intermediate N3+(1s22p nl) states. By comparing measurements at two different ion energies the enhancement of DR due to electromagnetic fields is derived for the narrow bandwidths of Rydberg states n≈17–21 and 19–24. The applied electric fields ranged from 0 to 300 V/cm. The observed enhancement was up to a factor of 1.9 for the bandwidth n≈17–21 and up to 2.3 for the bandwidth n≈19–24, respectively.

Dielectronic Recombination of Very Heavy Lithiumlike Ions

An overview of measurements of dielectronic recombination (DR) with the heaviest lithiumlike ions is presented. The experiments have been carried out at the heavy ion storage ring ESR at GSI utilizing the electron cooler as an electron target. In particular, results for low energy dielectronic recombination of Au76+ and U89+ are discussed. In the energy range of 0 to 400 eV which can be covered with our present set-up dielectronic resonances associated with Δn=0 core excitations from 2s1/2→2p1/2,3/2 were found. The experimental results can only be explained within a fully relativistic treatment and are sensitive to QED contributions of the order α2 as well as to the finite size of the atomic nucleus.

Spectroscopy of berylliumlike xenon ions using dielectronic recombination

Be-like ions have been investigated employing the resonant electron–ion collision process of dielectronic recombination (DR) as a spectroscopic tool. The experiments were performed at the experimental storage ring in Darmstadt, Germany, using its electron cooler as a target for free electrons. DR Rydberg resonance series for the associated intra-L-shell transitions and were observed with high resolution. In addition to these excitations from the ground state we determined resonances associated with excitations of ions initially in the metastable state. The corresponding excitation energies were determined to be and and . These excitation energies are compared with previous measurements and with recent state-of-the-art atomic structure calculations.

Towards a measurement of the 2s2p 3P0 ? 2s2 1S0 E1M1 two photon transition rate in Be-like xenon ions

Past and ongoing research activities at the Heidelberg heavy-ion storage-ring TSR are reviewed which aim at providing accurate absolute rate coefficients and cross sections of atomic collision processes for applications in astrophysics and magnetically confined fusion. In particular, dielectronic recombination and electron impact ionization of iron ions are discussed as well as dielectronic recombination of tungsten ions.Dielectronic recombination (DR) of Be-like 136Xe50+ was measured by employing the electron-ion merged-beam technique at the storage ring ESR of GSI in Darmstadt, Germany. We present results covering the center-of-mass energy range 0 − 4 eV. In addition to Rydberg series of resonances associated with ground-state intra L-shell excitations, resonances were found which are formed during DR of initially metastable 136Xe50+(2s2p 3P0) parent ions. This state is the first excited state and is long lived because the J=0 → J=0 transition and the absence of nuclear spin make the rare E1M1 two-photon transition the lowest-order decay channel. Future measurements which will monitor the strength of the resonances as function of storage time may be exploited for a measurement of the E1M1 two photon transition rate.

Observation of enhancement in K-shell radiative recombination of U92+ ions with cooling electrons

The observation of the enhancement of radiative recombination (RR) into the K-shell for U92+ ions interacting with cooling electrons in x-ray RR experiment performed at the ESR storage ring is reported. From the measured intensities of K-RR x-rays for the electron relative energies in the range 0-1000 meV a clear indication of the recombination enhancement, with respect of the fully relativistic RR calculations, was found for the K-shell for the zero relative electron energy. This results add new aspects to existing interpretations of the enhancement effect emphasizing a role of recombination into high Rydberg states.

Dielectronic recombination of lithiumlike Xe51+ ions: Storage ring experiment and theoretical calculations

Absolute rate coefficients for dielectronic recombination (DR) of Li-like 136Xe51+ have been measured at the heavy-ion storage ring ESR. The experimental results are compared with relativistic distorted-wave calculations employing the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock method. Based on the DR measurements the 2s-2p1/2 and 2s-2p3/2 excitation energies in Li-like Xe51+ were determined with a relative accuracy of ~400 ppm.

Dielectronic recombination of berylliumlike Xe50+ ions: Measurement and theoretical calculations

Absolute rate coefficients for dielectronic recombination (DR) of Be-like 136Xe50+ have been measured at the heavy-ion storage ring ESR. The experimental results are compared with relativistic distorted-wave calculations employing the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock method. Based on the DR measurements, multiple intra-L-shell excitation energies were determined.