Relativistic Effects in the Hyperfine Structure of the Alkali Atoms

Abstract

The relativistic effects in the hyperfine structure of the alkali atoms in their ground 2S1/2 and excited 2S1/2 and 2P1/2,3/2 states are investigated by means of self-consistent-field calculations. Relativistic correction factors are obtained by comparing relativistic and non-relativistic results. Exact Hartree-Fock exchange as well as various statistical exchange approximations have been used. It is found that the correction factors are quite insensitive to the type of potential used in the calculation, while the values of the interaction parameters themselves differ appreciably between the different self-consistent-field schemes. The new correction factors are used to reanalyze the experimental data for the alkali atoms. Non-relativistic core polarization results have been corrected for relativistic effects and new quadrupole moments have been evaulated for the following nuclei: 7Li, 23Na, 39K, 87Rb and 134Cs.