Radiative lifetimes in Si i from laser-induced fluorescence in the visible, ultraviolet, and vacuum ultraviolet

Radiative lifetimes for 47 levels in neutral silicon are reported. Lifetimes are measured using time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) on a beam of silicon atoms. The transitions studied span the spectral range 160--410 nm. The experimental methods used are broadly applicable for measuring lifetimes in almost any neutral or singly ionized element using LIF in the visible, ultraviolet, and vacuum-ultraviolet spectral regions. Lifetimes are combined with previously reported branching fractions or branching ratios to generate 36 absolute transition probabilities, most with total uncertainty of 5--10 %.