ESTIMATED VALENCE-LEVEL LAMB SHIFTS FOR GROUP-1 AND GROUP-11 METAL ATOMS

The leading Lamb-shift terms are evaluated for the valence electrons o f neutral alkali-metal and coinage metal atoms (groups 1 and 11, respe ctively). The vacuum polarization (VP) contribution is treated using t he Uehling potential and the self-energy (SE) contribution using eithe r a density-based alpha(3) expression or the E-SE/E-VP ratios by Johns on and Soff [At. Data Nucl. Data Tables 33, 405 (1985)]. Both Dirac-Fo ck and model-potential wave functions are tested. The result for the v alence ns electron is a destabilization, rising at moderate Z values ( 30-80) as Z(2) and more steeply at high Z. The (n-1)d electrons suffer an indirect stabilization. The effects are opposite those of kinetic Dirac relativity and about 1-2% of them. They are roughly half of the valence Breit interaction;and rise to about 0.5% of the ionization pot ential for Z = 111-119.