U. I. Safronova

Recent experimental progress in cooling, trapping, and quantum logic spectroscopy of highly-charged ions (HCIs) made HCIs accessible for high resolution spectroscopy and precision fundamental studies. Based on these achievements, we explore a possibility to develop optical clocks using transitions between the ground and a low-lying excited state in the Cf$^{15+}$ and Cf$^{17+}$ ions. Using a high-accuracy relativistic method of calculation we predicted the wavelengths of clock transitions, calculated relevant atomic properties, and analyzed a number of systematic effects (such as the electric quadrupole-, micromotion-, and quadratic Zeeman shifts of the clock transitions) that affect the accuracy and stability of the optical clocks. We also calculated magnetic dipole hyperfine-structure constants of the clock states and the blackbody radiation shifts of the clock transitions.

A relativistic many-body method is developed to calculate energy and transition rates for multipole transitions in many-electron ions. This method is based on relativistic many-body perturbation theory (RMBPT), agrees with MCDF calculations in lowest-order, includes all second-order correlation corrections and includes corrections from negative energy states. Reduced matrix elements, oscillator strengths, and transition rates are calculated for electric-multipole (dipole (E1), quadrupole (E2), and octupole (E3)) and magnetic-multipole (dipole (M1), quadrupole (M2), and octupole (M3)) transitions between 3l5l' excited and ground states in Ni-like ions with nuclear charges ranging from Z = 30 to 100. The calculations start from a 1s22s22p63s23p63d10} Dirac-Fock potential. First-order perturbation theory is used to obtain intermediate-coupling coefficients, and second-order RMBPT is used to determine the matrix elements. A detailed discussion of the various contributions to the dipole matrix elements and energy levels is given for nickellike tungsten (Z = 74). The contributions from negative-energy states are included in the second-order E1, M1, E2 M2, E3, and M3 matrix elements. The resulting transition energies and transition rates are compared with experimental values and with results from other recent calculations. These atomic data are important in modeling of M-shell radiation spectra of heavy ions generated in electron beam ion trap experiments and in M-shell diagnostics of plasmas.

Energies of (3s2 3p6 3d9 4l4l'), (3s2 3p5 3d10 4l4l'), and (3s 3p6 3d10 4l4l') states for Cu-like ions with Z = 30 -100 are evaluated to second order in relativistic many-body perturbation theory (RMBPT) starting from a Ni-like Dirac-Fock potential. Second-order Coulomb and Breit-Coulomb interactions are included. Correction for the frequency-dependence of the Breit interaction is taken into account in lowest order. The Lamb shift correction to energies is also included in lowest order. Intrinsic particle-particle-hole contributions to energies are found to be 20-30% of the sum of one- and two-body contributions. Transition rates and line strengths are calculated for the 3l-4l' electric-dipole (E1) transitions in Cu-like ions with nuclear charge Z = 30 - 100. RMBPT including the Breit interaction is used to evaluate retarded E1 matrix elements in length and velocity forms. First-order RMBPT is used to obtain intermediate coupling coefficients and second-order RMBPT is used to calculate transition matrix elements. A detailed discussion of the various contributions to the dipole matrix elements and energy levels is given for copperlike tungsten (Z = 74). The transition energies used in the calculation of oscillator strengths and transition rates are from second-order RMBPT. Trends of the transition rates as functions of $Z$ are illustrated graphically for selected transitions. Comparisons are made with available experimental data. These atomic data are important in modeling of M-shell radiation spectra of heavy ions generated in electron beam ion trap experiments and in M-shell diagnostics of plasmas.