Parity nonconservation in Fr-like actinide and Cs-like rare-earth-metal ions

Parity-nonconservation (PNC) amplitudes are calculated for the 7s-6d3/2 transitions of the francium isoelectronic sequence (Fr, Ra⁺, Ac²⁺, Th³⁺, Pa⁴⁺, U⁵⁺, and Np⁶⁺) and for the 6s-5d3/2 transitions of the cesium isoelectronic sequence (Cs, Ba⁺, La²⁺, Ce³⁺, and Pr⁴⁺). We show in particular that isotopes of La²⁺, Ac²⁺, and Th³⁺ ions have strong potential in the search for new physics beyond the standard model: The PNC amplitudes are large, the calculations are accurate, and the nuclei are practically stable. In addition, ²³²Th³⁺ ions have recently been trapped and cooled [Campbell et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 233004 (2009)]. We also extend previous works by calculating the s-s PNC transitions in Ra⁺ and Ba⁺ and provide calculations of several energy levels, and electric dipole and quadrupole transition amplitudes for the Fr-like actinide ions.