Transition rates for lithium-like ions, sodium-like ions, and neutral alkali-metal atoms

Third-order many-body perturbation theory is used to obtain El transition amplitudes for ions of the lithium and sodium isoelectronic sequences and for the neutral alkali-metal atoms potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium. Complete angular reductions of the first-, second-, and third-order amplitudes are given. Tables of transition energies and rates are given for the 2p(1/2) --> 2s(1/2), 2p(3/2) --> 2s(1/2), 3s(1/2) --> 2P(1/2), and 3s(1/2) --> 2p(3/2) transitions in the lithium isoelectronic sequence and for the corresponding 3p(1/2) --> 3s(1/2), 3p(3/2) --> 3s(1/2), 4s(1/2) --> 3p(1/2), and 4s(1/2) --> 3p(3/2) transitions in the sodium sequence. For neutral alkali atoms, amplitudes of np(1/2) --> ns(1/2), np(3/2) --> ns(1/2), (n + 1)s(1/2) --> np(1/2), and (n + 1)s(1/2) --> np(3/2) transitions are evaluated, where n is the principal quantum number of the valence electron in the atomic ground state. Semi-empirical corrections for the omitted fourth- and higher-order terms in perturbation theory are given for the neutral alkali-metal atoms. Comparisons with previous high-precision calculations and with experiment are made. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.