Experimental and theoretical lifetimes in Yb III

Abstract

Lifetimes of three levels belonging to the configuration 4f135d with J = 1 in Yb III have been measured for the first time using the time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence method. Experimental transition probabilities have been deduced for the transitions between the levels studied and the ground state. The comparison of the experimental lifetimes with theoretical data, deduced within the relativistic Hartree-Fock (HFR) approach, underlines the dramatic importance of an adequate consideration of core-polarization effects in the theoretical model and the sensitivity of one of the lifetime values to small correlation effects.