Towards a test of QED in investigations of the hyperfine splitting in heavy ions.

ABSTRACT

A possibility for investigations of quantum electrodynamics (QED) in experiments on the hyperfine splitting in heavy ions is examined. It is found that QED effects can be probed on the level of a few percent in a specific difference of the hyperfine splitting values in hydrogenlike and lithiumlike bismuth. This could provide a test of QED in the strongest electric field available at present for experimental study.