Abstract
We use a novel electrostatic ion storage ring to measure the radiative lifetime of the upper level in the spontaneous radiative decay in to be . This is by orders of magnitude the longest lifetime ever measured in a negatively charged ion. Cryogenic cooling of the storage ring gives a residual-gas pressure of a few times mbar at 13 K and storage of 10 keV sulfur anions for more than an hour. Our experimental results differ by from the only available theoretical prediction [P. Andersson et al., Phys. Rev. A 73, 032705 (2006)].
- Received 16 December 2014
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.143003
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Published by the American Physical Society
Viewpoint
Negative Ions in Cold Storage
Published 6 April 2015
A cooled ring stores high-speed negative ions for more than 1000 seconds and enables new studies of atomic and molecular ions that are important in interstellar and atmospheric chemistry.
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