Calculations of the2snsS1and2p3pP3,1Levels of Be i

Abstract

Large scale configuration-interaction calculations are carried out on the $2sns{}_{}{}^1{}_{}{}^{}S$ series of Be i in an attempt to account for the anomalous behavior of the measured $f$ value for the 3455-Å line, which had been identified as the $2s2p{}_{}{}^1{}_{}{}^{}P-2\mathrm{}{p}^2{}_{}{}^1{}_{}{}^{}S$ transition. The calculations indicate that the series is very nearly purely Rydberg in character and that $2p^2{}_{}{}^1{}_{}{}^{}S$ is not embedded in the series between $6s$ and $7s$, as had been previously assigned. Additional variational calculations on the $2snp$ and $2p3p$ levels indicate that a reidentification of the 3455-Å line with the $2s3p{}_{}{}^1{}_{}{}^{}P-2p3p{}_{}{}^1{}_{}{}^{}P$ transition is consistent with both lifetime and wavelength measurements. These calculations also predict lines at 2148 and 4528Å, which have recently been found in beam-foil spectra.