Stark effect and lifetimes in the n=4 level of He+

[摘要] I have investigated the lifetimes of the n = 4 level of He+ in an external electric field. Calculations have been made for the energy levels for both ;;weak;; and ;;strong;; fields. Lifetimes of the excited states in n = 4 have been calculated as a function of electric field strength and it has been shown that the lifetime of the 4S m1/2 state is dependent on the ratio of the Stark effect to the Lamb shift. I measured the lifetimes of the 4S and 4F states with no ex ternal field with a high energy atomic beam technique. My attempts to measure the lifetimes in the n = 4 level in an external electric field and, thereby, to deduce the Lamb shift from the dependence of the 4S 1/2 state on the field strength proved unsuccessful for reasons discussed in the text.

[发布机构] Rice University