New experiments on few-electron very heavy atoms

New experiments, to test quantum electrodynamics (QED) in strong Coulomb fields and to study atomic collisions at ultrarelativistic energies, are proposed. A 0.1% measurement of the 22P/sub 1/2/-22S/sub 1/2/ splitting in lithium like uranium (Z=92) and the 23P0 - 23S1 splitting in heliumlike uranium is proposed as a sub 1% test of the Lamb shift in a strong Coulomb field. Measurements of the hyperfine splitting of hydrogenlike thallium (Z=81) and the g/sub j/ factor of the ground state of hydrogenlike uranium are propsed as a test of the QED contribution to the magnetic moment of an electron bound in a strong Coulomb field. Measurements of capture cross sections for ultra relativistic very heavy nuclei are proposed to look for the capture of electrons from pair production. 40 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs