NOTICE: Due to a lapse in annual appropriations, most of this website is not being updated. Learn more.
Form submissions will still be accepted but will not receive responses at this time. Sections of this site for programs using non-appropriated funds (such as NVLAP) or those that are excepted from the shutdown (such as CHIPS and NVD) will continue to be updated.
An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
First Measurement of Lyman Alpha X-ray Lines in Hydrogen-like Vanadium
Published
Author(s)
John D. Gillaspy, C T. Chantler, D Paterson, Lawrence T. Hudson, F Serpa, E Takacs
Abstract
The first measurement of hydrogen-like vanadium x-ray Lyman alpha transitions has been made. The measurement was made on an absolute scale, fully independent of atomic structure calculations. Sufficient signal was obtained to reduce the statistical uncertainty to a small fraction of the total error budget. Potential sources of systematic error due to Doppler shifts were eliminated by performing the measurement on trapped ions. The energies for Ly alpha1 and Ly alpha2 are 5443.95(25) eV, and 5431.10(25) eV, respectively. These results are within approximately 1.5 sigma of the theoretical values 5443.63 eV and 5430.70 eV of Johnson and Soff (1985). The results are discussed in terms of their relation to the Lamb shift and the development of an x-ray wavelength standard based on a compact source of trapped highly charged ions.
Citation
Journal of Physics B-Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics
Pub Type
Journals
Keywords
Hydrogen, Hydrogen-like ions, quantum electrodynamics (QED), Lamb shift, Lyman alpha, electron beam ion trap
Gillaspy, J.
, Chantler, C.
, Paterson, D.
, Hudson, L.
, Serpa, F.
and Takacs, E.
(2009),
First Measurement of Lyman Alpha X-ray Lines in Hydrogen-like Vanadium, Journal of Physics B-Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics
(Accessed October 8, 2025)