Hyperfine Structure and Nuclear Moments of Promethium-147 and Promethium-151

The atomic-beam magnetic-resonance method has been used to measure the hyperfine structure of the ⁶H7/2 level in two promethium isotopes. The spins of these isotopes have been verified to be I(Pm¹⁴⁷)=7/2 and I(Pm¹⁵¹)=5/2. The electronic splitting factor (gJ) has been measured for the ⁶H7/2 level and is found to be gJ=-0.8279(4), in good agreement with the predicted value. The hyperfine constants and the nuclear moments inferred from them are found to be for Pm¹⁴⁷: |A|=447.1(9.3) Mc/sec, |B|=267.5(70.8) Mc/sec, B/A<0, |μI|=3.2(3) nm, |Q|=0.7(3) b Qμ>0; and for Pm¹⁵¹: |A|=358(23) Mc/sec, |B|=777(94) Mc/sec, B/A<0, |μI|=1.8(2) nm, |Q|=1.9(3) b, Qμ>0. The nuclear moments are corrected for the breakdown of Russell-Saunders coupling. The stated errors include uncertainties in the fields at the nucleus arising from errors in the value of 〈1r³〉 and the neglect of core polarization on the magnetic hyperfine structure. Corrections due to the Sternheimer effect have not been included. The measurements are shown to be consistent with the hypothesis that Pm¹⁴⁷ is not highly deformed and can be understood from the shell model, but that Pm¹⁵¹ is highly deformed and must be interpreted by the collective model.