Time-resolved fluorescence of the¹S₀and¹D₂series of Mg I

The lifetimes of the n 1 S 0 (n=4 to n=10) and n 1 D 2 (n=3 to n=17) states in Mg I have been measured using the time-resolved fluorescence technique following two-photon excitation of the atoms produced in a cell. The results clearly show strong perturbations of the 1 D 2 series although the 1 S 0 series is less perturbed. The calculations performed using a central-field method indicate strong interaction with the (3p 2 ) configuration. The strength of this interaction is compared with those occurring in Cd I and Zn I.