Fine-structure energy levels, radiative rates and lifetimes in Si-like nickel

Large scale CIV3 calculations of excitation energies from ground state as well as of oscillator strengths and radiative decay rates for all electric–dipole-allowed and intercombination transitions among the fine-structure levels of the terms belonging to the (1s22s22p6)3s23p2, 3s3p3, 3p4, 3s23p3d, 3s23p4s, 3s23p4p, 3s23p4d and 3s23p4f configurations of Ni XV, are performed using very extensive configuration-interaction wave functions. The relativistic effects in intermediate coupling are incorporated by means of the Breit–Pauli Hamiltonian. In order to keep our calculated energy splittings as close as possible to the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) values, we have made small adjustments to the diagonal elements of the Hamiltonian matrices. Our calculated excitation energies, including their ordering, are in excellent agreement with the available NIST results. From our radiative decay rates we have also calculated radiative lifetimes of the fine-structure levels. It is noted that our calculated radiative rates show significant disagreement (23–30%) with those calculated by Ishikawa and Vilkas (2002 Phys. Scr. 65 219) for the transitions involving the 3s3p3(5S2) level. For this high spin level 3s3p3(5S2) our calculated lifetime is found to be in excellent agreement with the experimental value of Trabert et al (1989 Z. Phys. D 11 207). In this calculation, we also predict many additional new and accurate data for various optically allowed and intercombination transitions to complete the void in the existing data.