Storing keV Negative Ions for an Hour: The Lifetime of the Metastable 2P°1/2 level in 32S-.

We use a novel electrostatic ion storage ring to measure the radiative lifetime of the upper level in the 3p5 2P°1/2 → 3p5 2P°3/2 spontaneous radiative decay in 32S- to be 503 ± 54 sec. This is by orders of magnitude the longest lifetime ever measured in a negatively charged ion. Cryogenic cooling of the storage ring gives a residual-gas pressure of a few times 10-14 mbarat 13 Kand storage of 10 keV sulfur anions for more than an hour. Our experimental results differ by 13δ from the only available theoretical prediction [P. Andersson et al., Phys. Rev. A 73, 032705 (2006)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]