Abstract

We have captured ²¹⁰Fr atoms in an on-line magneto-optic trap (MOT) at the superconducting LINAC of Stony Brook and are currently measuring its atomic properties.^1,2 Fr has been identified as a viable candidate for a parity nonconservation measurement, but such a project requires detailed knowledge of the atomic structure of francium. Until recently, none of the radiative lifetimes of the electronic states of any isotope of Fr had been measured. We present here the precision measurement of the 7p²P_½ state lifetime in atomic Fr and compare the extracted radial matrix elements with the most accurate many-body perturbation theory calculations.

© 1997 Optical Society of America