Fine Structure Anomalies and Search for Variation of the Fine Structure Constant in Laboratory Experiments

Abstract

Configuration interaction in many-electron atoms may cause anomalies in the fine structure which make the intervals small and very sensitive to variation of the fine structure constant. Repeated precision measurements of these intervals over long period of time can put strong constrain on possible time variation of the fine structure constant. We consider the $5p^4 \ ^3$P$_{2,1,0}$ fine structure multiplet in the ground state of neutral tellurium as an example. Here the effect of change of the fine structure constant is enhanced about one hundred times in the relative change of the small energy interval between the $^3$P$_1$ and $^3$P$_0$ states.