Autoionization rates for core excited 5P states in Na-

The multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock method along with configuration interaction in the Breit-Pauli approximation has been used to calculate the autoionization rates for 5P states of the configuration 1s22s22p53p3 in Na-. The predicted autoionization rates for decay to 1s22s22p53s3pks, 1s22s22p53s3pkd, and 1s22s22p53s2kp channels were found to be 5.092x1012 sec-1, 6.897x1012 sec-1, 6.934x1012 sec-1, for J=3, 2, 1, respectively. These autoionization rates dominate over the transition rates. Both spin-orbit interactions and correlation effects played an important role in the prediction of decay rates. (orig.)