Disentanglement of magnetic field mixing reveals the spontaneous M2 decay rate for a metastable level in Xe+

• We have investigated the radiative decay of the metastable level 5d(4)D(7/2) in Xe+. Theoretically we find the decay to be heavily dominated by an M2 transition and not by M1/E2 transitions. Lifetime measurements of 5d(4)D(7/2) in a storage ring are difficult since magnetic mixing of the metastable with a short-lived level quenches its population. Decay rates were determined at different magnetic field strengths (B) in order to allow a nonlinear extrapolation to B=0. The experimental lifetime of 2.4 +/- 0.8 s was in agreement with the calculated value, but much smaller than previously estimated.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

ION STORAGE-RING

LIFETIME

TRANSITION

XENON

BEAM

Physics

Fysik

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