QED Corrections to the 4p - 4d Transition Energies of Copperlike Heavy Ions

Quantum electrodynamic (QED) corrections to 4p-4d transition energies of several copper-like ions with Z = 70-92 are calculated non-perturbatively in strong external fields to all orders in binding corrections. Dirac-Kohn-Sham potentials are used to account for screening and core-relaxation effects. For the 4p{sub 1/2}-4d{sub 3/2} transition in copperlike bismuth, thorium and uranium, results are in good agreement with empirical QED corrections deduced from differences between transition energies obtained from recent high-precision electron-beam ion-trap (EBIT) measurements and those calculated with the relativistic many-body perturbation theory (RMBPT). These comparisons provide sensitive tests of QED corrections for high angular momentum states in many-electron heavy ions and illustrate the importance of core-relaxation corrections. Comparisons are also made with other theories and with experiment on the 4s-4p transition energies of high-Z Cu-like ions as accuracy checks of the present RMBPT and QED calculations