Rydberg Values for X- and γ-Rays

An improved connection chain has been established between the hydrogen Rydberg (i.e., H Balmer α) and γ-ray lines to which mesic X-ray transitions are compared. This new γ-ray scale, together with improved comparisons between muonic spectra and the γ-ray lines, appears to have resolved the long-standing problem of vacuum polarization in high Z muonic atoms. It now becomes of interest to turn to high Z electronic spectra Where accurate relativistic calculations are recently available. Direct re-measurement of these spectra is underway; meanwhile, however, there are already some results available. This report describes the H Balmer α to γ-ray comparisons and summarizes the results of initial comparisons between re-evaluated X-ray transition energies and those which follow from recent relaxed-orbital relativistic Hartree-Fock-Slater calculations.