M1/E2/M2 decay rates in Fe VII, Fe IX, Fe X and Fe XIII measured using a heavy-ion storage ring

Abstract

Lifetimes (the inverse of the total decay rates) of several 3p and 3d levels in Ca-, Ar-, Cl- and Si-like ions of Fe that decay only by electric-dipole-forbidden transitions have been measured optically using a heavy-ion storage ring, observing either near-UV or EUV light. In several cases, more than one decay contributes to a given decay curve, which complicates the analysis. The lifetime results, with a precision ranging from 0.8 to 10%, compare well with some theoretical predictions.