2009MNRAS.396.2289M

Radiative lifetimes of nine odd levels in Hf III (5d6p z³P_0,1, z¹D₂, z³D_1,2,3, z³F_2,3,4) and of two odd levels in Hf I (5d6s²6p z³D_2,3) have been determined using Time-Resolved Laser-Induced Fluorescence. The investigated levels in Hf I were excited in a single-step process from the ground term (5d²6s² a³F), whereas in Hf III we started from either the ground term 5d² a³F or the low-lying 5d6s a³D term. For all of the investigated levels, the lifetimes have been measured for the first time. A multiconfiguration relativistic Hartree-Fock method, including core-polarization effects, has been used to compute radiative lifetimes of 15 Hf III levels, including those measured in this work. Transition probabilities for 55 transitions in Hf III are also given.