Natural Lifetimes and Hyperfine Structure for K39 in the 5p2P3/2 and 6p2P3/2 Levels of the KI Spectrum by Resonance Scattering of Light

Abstract

The hyperfine coupling constants and the natural radiative lifetimes of the 5p 2 P 3/2 and 6p 2 P 3/2 levels of K39 were determined in a level crossing experiment on an enriched K39 sample in a sealed-off resonance cell. The following results were obtained: a(5p 2 P 3/2) = 1.973 (12) MHz a(6p 2 P 3/2) = 0.886 (8) MHz b(5p 2 P 3/2) = 0.870 (18) MHz b(6p 2 P 3/2) = 0.370 (15) MHz τ(5p 2 P 3/2) = 133 (3) ns τ(6p 2 P 3/2) = 310 (15) ns Considering the influence of core polarization on the magnetic hyperfine interaction and applying a Sternheimer correction, fairly consistent values of the electric quadrupole moment Q are obtained from the first three levels of the np 2 P 3/2 sequence. We find Q(K39) = +0.059 (6) barn.