Accurate Experimental Lifetimes of Excited Levels in Nd II

Radiative lifetimes of 24 levels in Nd II have been measured with a laser-ion beam technique using intracavity excitation. Of the lifetimes, 8 were measured with current normalization and 16 with an improved experimental setup using fluorescence light normalization. 11 of the levels have not been measured previously. Several levels were found to have a different lifetime than earlier reported. The measured lifetimes were used to correct old gf-values deduced from arc spectra. These new gf-values together with 17 equivalent widths, obtained from high resolution tracings of the solar disc center spectrum, were used in a solar photosphere abundance analysis which confirmed our old Nd abundance value.