Configuration interaction calculation for the isotope shift in Mg I

Abstract

We present an ab initio method of calculation of isotope shift in atoms with a few valence electrons, based on the configuration-interaction calculation of energy. The main motivation for developing the method comes from the need to analyze whether differences in isotope abundance in early universe can contribute to the observed anomalies in quasar absorption spectra. The current best explanation for these anomalies is the assumption that the fine structure constant, alpha, was smaller at early epoch. We show that we can calculate the isotope shift in magnesium with good accuracy.

4 pages

References in corpus (4)

• Further evidence for a variable fine-structure constant from Keck/HIRES QSO absorption spectra
• Isotope shift calculations for atoms with one valence electron
• Does the fine structure constant vary? A third quasar absorption sample consistent with varying alpha
• Does the fine structure constant vary? A detailed investigation into systematic effects

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Space-time variation of the fine structure constant and evolution of isotope abundances
• Improved calculation of relativistic shift and isotope shift in Mg I
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• Variation of fundamental constants in space and time: theory and observations
• Correlation, Breit, and QED effects in spectra of Mg-like ions
• Isotope shifts and relativistic shifts of Cr II for study of alpha-variation in quasar absorption spectra
• Sensitivity coefficients to $\alpha$-variation for fine-structure transitions in Carbon-like ions
• Relativistic frequency shifts in Cr, Ti, Fe, Ni, Ca, Na, and V to search for variation in the fine structure constant
• Isotope shifts of the (3s3p)${}^3$P${}_{0,1,2}$ - (3s4s)${}^3$S${}_1$ Mg I transitions
• High-resolution saturation spectroscopy of singly-ionized iron with a pulsed uv laser