A. Eugene Livingston

Professor,
Atomic Physics

The atomic physics of highly-charged ions is studied using energetic excitations in heavy-ion beams. The characteristics of atomic interactions and of atomic structure and decay properties in these ions are revealed through spectroscopic detection techniques. Tests of relativistic and quantum electrodynamic effects in few-electron atomic systems are achieved by precision measurements involving allowed and forbidden transitions in the highly-charged ions.

Research Interests

This experimental atomic physics program concentrates on measurements of atomic structures, atomic interactions, and atomic transition rates in highly charged ions. Ultraviolet and X-ray spectroscopies are applied to study the excitation, atomic structure, and decay characteristics of ions using fast beams. High-resolution UV and X-ray spectrometers equipped with photon-counting position-sensitive detectors enable studies of a wide variety of highly ionized atoms. Experiments are performed at several heavy-ion accelerator laboratories: the Notre Dame Tandem and APAL Laboratories, the ATLAS facility at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, and the UNILAC and SIS/ESR facilities at GSI-Darmstadt, Germany.

This research emphasizes measurements that are selected to advance our understanding of relativistic effects in atomic structures and transition rates. These studies of fundamental atomic systems provide tests of forefront theoretical atomic physics calculations. The experimental results also provide important data for the diagnostics and modeling of high-temperature astrophysical and laboratory plasmas.

Current research topics include: (1) precision spectroscopic measurements of relativistic and quantum electrodynamic contributions in the atomic structures of few-electron ions; (2) time-resolved measurements of relativistic effects, electron correlation contributions, and hyperfine interactions for both allowed and forbidden transition rates;

(3) measurement of the X-ray continuum spectrum of coincident-two-photon de-excitation in heliumlike ions; (4) spectroscopy of highly excited Rydberg state transitions in few-electron ions using fast ion beams as well as laser-prepared stored ion beams; (5) precision lifetime measurements using laser excitation of low-energy beams of atoms and ions.

Selected Publications

"2s^{2 1}S₀-2s2p ³P₁ Intercombination Transition Wavelengths in Be-like Ag⁴³⁺, Sn⁴⁶⁺, and Xe⁵⁰⁺ Ions," D. Feili, B. Zimmerman, C. Neacsu, Ph. Bosselmann, K.-H. Schartner, F. Folkmann, A.E. Livingston, E. Träbert, and P.H. Mokler, Physica Scripta 71, 48-51 (2005). 

"1s2s2p²3s ⁶P-1s2p³3s ⁶S⁰ Transitions in OIV," B. Lin, H.G. Berry, T. Shibata, A.E. Livingston, H.-P. Garnir, T. Bastin, J. Désesquelles, and I. Savukov, Phys. Rev. A67, 062507-062515 (2003).

"Measurements of 2s ²S_1/2-2p ²P_1/2 transition energies in lithiumlike heavy ions. III. Experimental results for Sn⁴⁷⁺ and Xe⁵¹⁺," D. Feili, Ph. Bosselmann, K.-H. Schartner, F. Folkmann, A.E. Livingston, E. Träbert, X. Ma and P.H. Mokler, Phys. Rev. A62, 022501 (2000).

"Spectroscopy using stimulated electron-ion recombination," A. Wolf, G. Uhlenberg, U. Schramm, T. Schüssler, A.E. Livingston, G. Gwinner, G. Saathoff, and D. Schwalm, Hyperfine Interactions 127, 203-210 (2000).

"Lifetime Measurements for Allowed and Forbidden Transitions ," E. Jasper, A. Vasilyev, K. Kukla, C. Vogel Vogt, A.E. Livingston, H.G. Berry, S. Cheng, L.J. Curtis, and R.W. Dunford, Physica Scripta T80, 466-468 (1999).

"Two-photon decay in strong central fields observed for the case of He-like gold ," H.W. Schäffer, P.H. Mokler, R.W. Dunford, C. Kozhuharov, A. Krämer, A.E. Livingston, T. Ludziejewski, H.-T. Prinz, P. Rymuza, L. Sarkadi, Z. Stachura, Th. Stöhlker, P. Swiat, and A. Warczak, Phys. Lett. A260, 489-494 (1999).

"Fast-beam laser lifetime measurements of the cesium 6p ²P_1/2,3/2 states ," Robert J. Rafac, Carol E. Tanner, A. Eugene Livingston, and H. Gordon Berry, Phys. Rev. A60, 3648-3662 (1999).

"Fine-structure energies for the 1s2s ³S-1s2p ³P transition in heliumlike Ar¹⁶⁺," K.W. Kukla, A.E. Livingston, J. Suleiman, H.G. Berry, R.W. Dunford, D.S. Gemmell, E.P. Kanter, S. Cheng and L.J. Curtis, Phys. Rev. A51, 1905-1917 (1995).

Honors and Activities

• Fellow, American Physical Society

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