High 2Po resonances of a triply excited lithium atom.

Abstract

Eleven lithium resonances, eight below the ${\mathrm{Li}}^{+}$ 2s2s${\mathrm{}}^{1}$S threshold and three above the ${\mathrm{Li}}^{+}$ 2s2p${\mathrm{}}^{3}$${\mathit{P}}^{\mathit{o}}$ threshold, are studied with the saddle-point complex-rotation method. These are the triply excited $^{2}$${\mathit{P}}^{\mathit{o}}$ resonances above the 2s2s2p${\mathrm{}}^{2}$${\mathit{P}}^{\mathit{o}}$ and 2p2p2p${\mathrm{}}^{2}$${\mathit{P}}^{\mathit{o}}$ states. They are classified based on the energy, the relative contribution of the different angular-spin components to the normalization, and by inspecting the relativistic corrections. The partial Auger widths are obtained for the individual channels and the total Auger widths are obtained by coupling the important open channels and summing over the other channels. These results are compared with the recent experimental data. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.