Journal article

Publication year: 2010

Journal: Physical Review Letters

Volume number: 105

Issue number: 24

ISSN: 0031-9007

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.243002

Publisher: American Physical Society

Abstract: 
We report the observation of an interference between the electric dipole (E1) and the magnetic quadrupole (M2) amplitudes for the linear polarization of the Ly-alpha(1) (2p(3/2) -> 1s(1/2)) radiation of hydrogenlike uranium. This multipole mixing arises from the coupling of the ion to different multipole components of the radiation field. Our observation indicates a significant depolarization of the Ly-alpha(1) radiation due to the E1-M2 amplitude mixing. It proves that a combined measurement of the linear polarization and of the angular distribution enables a very precise determination of the ratio of the E1 and the M2 transition amplitudes and the corresponding transition rates without any assumptions concerning the population mechanism for the 2p(3/2) state.

Harvard Citation style: Weber, G., Braeuning, H., Surzhykov, A., Brandau, C., Fritzsche, S., Geyer, S., et al. (2010) Direct Determination of the Magnetic Quadrupole Contribution to the Lyman-α₁ Transition in a Hydrogenlike Ion, Physical Review Letters, 105(24), Article 243002. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.243002

APA Citation style: Weber, G., Braeuning, H., Surzhykov, A., Brandau, C., Fritzsche, S., Geyer, S., Hagmann, S., Hess, S., Kozhuharov, C., Maertin, R., Petridis, N., Reuschl, R., Spillmann, U., Trotsenko, S., Winters, D., & Stoehlker, T. (2010). Direct Determination of the Magnetic Quadrupole Contribution to the Lyman-α₁ Transition in a Hydrogenlike Ion. Physical Review Letters. 105(24), Article 243002. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.243002