Theoretical study on K, L, and M X-ray transition energies and rates of neptunium and its ions

Abstract

The transition energies and electric dipole (E1) transition rates of the K, L, and M lines in neutral Np have been theoretically determined from the MultiConfiguration Dirac—Fock (MCDF) method. In the calculations, the contributions from Breit interaction and quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects (vacuum polarization and self-energy), as well as nuclear finite mass and volume effects, are taken into account. The calculated transition energies and rates are found to be in good agreement with other experimental and theoretical results. The accuracy of the results is estimated and discussed. Furthermore, we calculated the transition energies of the same lines radiating from the decaying transitions of the K-, L-, and M-shell hole states of Np ions with the charge states Np1+ to Np6+ for the first time. We found that for a specific line, the corresponding transition energies relating to all the Np ions are almost the same; it means the outermost electrons have a very small influence on the inner-shell transition processes.