Natural radiative lifetimes in the 3 sns 1S0 and 3 snd 1D2 sequences of magnesium

Natural radiative lifetimes have been determined in the determined in the 3 sns 1S0 (n=4-15) and the 3 snd 1D2 (n=3-15) sequences of Mg I employing a pulsed-laser system. The radiative lifetimes in the 1S0 sequence and of the higher members in the 1D2 sequence are unperturbed and scale as (n*)2.6 (where n* is the effective principal quantum number), while the lifetimes of the lower members in the 1D2 sequence are perturbed by the doubly excited 3p2 configuration. The measured lifetimes are compared with available theoretical calculations, and a very good agreement is obtained