Fast-ion-beam laser-induced-fluorescence measurements of spontaneous-emission branching ratios and oscillator strengths in Sm II

Abstract

We measured the spontaneous-emission branching ratios of 69 levels in Sm II selectively populated via single-frequency laser excitation of a 10 keV ion beam. The levels studied had term energies up to 29 600 cm –1 , and decay branches with spontaneous emission in the range 250–850 nm were detected. The experimental accuracy was in the range of 10%. We used these branching ratios along with our previously determined radiative lifetimes to infer transition probabilities and oscillator strengths for 608 transitions in the wavelength range 363–771 nm, which are useful for stellar abundance determinations.PACS Nos.: 32.70.Cs, 95.30.Ky