Tensorial form and matrix elements of the relativistic nuclear recoil operator

E Gaidamauskas (1) , C Nazé (2) , P Rynkun (3) , G Gaigalas (1, 3) , P Jönsson (4) , M Godefroid (2)

1 Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astronomy [Vilnius]
2 Service de Chimie Quantique et Photophysique
3 Vilnius Pedagogical University
4 School of Technology

Within the lowest-order relativistic approximation (∼ v 2 /c 2) and to first order in m e /M, the tensorial form of the relativistic corrections of the nuclear recoil Hamiltonian is derived, opening interesting perspectives for calculating isotope shifts in the multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock framework. Their calculation is illustrated for selected Li-, B- and C-like ions. The present work underlines the fact that the relativistic corrections to the nuclear recoil are definitively necessary for getting reliable isotope shift values.

Mots clés: Isotope shifts; mass shift; relativistic nuclear recoil

E Gaidamauskas, C Nazé, P Rynkun, G Gaigalas, P Jönsson, et al.. Tensorial form and matrix elements of the relativistic nuclear recoil operator. Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, 2011, 44 (17), pp.175003. ⟨10.1088/0953-4075/44/17/175003⟩. ⟨hal-00651650⟩