Hyperfine quenching of the 2 s 2 p 3 P 0 state of berylliumlike ions

The hyperfine-induced 2s2p P0−2s 2 S0 transition rate for Be-like 47Ti18+ was recently measured in a storage-ring experiment by Schippers et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 033001 (2007)]. The measured value of 0.56(3) s−1 is almost 60% larger than the theoretical value of 0.356 s−1 from a multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock calculation by Marques et al. [Phys. Rev. A 47, 929 (1993)]. In this work, we use a large-scale relativistic configuration-interaction method to calculate these hyperfine-induced rates for ions with Z = 6− 92. Coherent hyperfine-quenching effects between the 2s2p P1 states are included in a perturbative as well as a radiation damping approach. Contrary to the claims of Marques et al., contributions from the P1 state are substantial and lead to a hyperfine-induced rate of 0.67 s−1, in better agreement with, though larger than, the measured value. PACS numbers: 31.30.Gs, 32.10.Fn, 31.15.aj, 31.15.am [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]