On the fine structure splitting of the 3p4 3d4 D5/2 AND 3p4 3d4 D7/2 levels of Fe x

We study UV spectra obtained with the SO82-B slit spectrograph on board SKYLAB to estimate the fine structure (FS) splitting of the Cl-like 3p(4)3d(4)D(5/2) and 3p(4)3d(4)D(7/2) levels of Fe X. The splitting is of interest because the Zeeman effect mixes these levels, producing a "magnetically induced transition" (MIT) from 3p(4)3d(4)D(7/2) to 3p(5) (2)p(3/2)(o) for modest magnetic field strengths characteristic of the active solar corona.

We estimate the splitting using the Ritz combination formula applied to two lines in the UV region of the spectrum close to 1603.2 angstrom, which decay from the level 3p(4)(D-1)3d (2)G(7/2) to these two lower levels. The MIT and accompanying spin-forbidden transition lie near 257 angstrom. By careful inspection of a deep exposure obtained with the S082B instrument, we derive a splitting of. less than or similar to 7 +/- 3 cm(-1).