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Model-independent determination of nuclear charge radii from Li-like ions

Vladimir A. Yerokhin1 and Ben Ohayon2,3

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Phys. Rev. A 113, 012804 – Published 2 January, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/71d6-w383

Abstract

We demonstrate that recent advances in QED theory of Li-like ions [V. A. Yerokhin, et al., Phys. Rev. A 112, 042801 (2025)] enable determinations of absolute nuclear charge radii for heavy elements. By incorporating constraints derived from electron-scattering data, we obtain radii that are independent of the assumed model of the nuclear charge distribution. Our approach is validated for Pb208, a well-studied spherical nucleus, and is then applied to Bi209, where low-lying nuclear excitations complicate the interpretation of muonic-atom data.

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Phys. Rev. A 113, 012804– Published 2 January, 2026
  • Received 31 October 2025
  • Accepted 9 December 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI. Open access publication funded by Max Planck Society.

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