Recent Investigations of Heavy Elements (37≤Z≤92)

Abstract

Sensitive elemental analysis by ArF laser-induced fluorescence of laser ablation plumes: Elucidation of the fluorescence mechanism Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 264104 (2005); 10.1063/1.2149983Relativistic effective valence shell Hamiltonian method: Excitation and ionization energies of heavy metal atoms Diatomic molecules between very heavy elements of group 13 and group 17: A study of relativistic effects on bonding Abstract. The present paper is an update and extension of previous compilations [1, 2] and it describes recent progress regarding the investigation of the radiative properties of the elements and ions (first three ionization stages) of the fifth and sixth rows of the periodic table and of the rare earths (mostly the lanthanides). From a combination of experimental radiative lifetimes obtained with laser spectroscopy and of theoretical branching fractions calculated with a quasirelativistic Hartree-Fock approach taking configuration interaction and core-polarization effects into account, transition probabilities have been deduced for a large number of transitions of astrophysical interest. Some new results are briefly described here. The numerical values are stored in the databases DESIRE and DREAM, which are developped and progressively updated on a web site of Mons University in Belgium.