Multi-electron QED in very highly charged ions

Recent advances in calculating the energy levels of few electron, very highly charged ions, in conjunction with new sources of these ions, present excellent prospects for establishing, experimentally, the nature of multi-electron quantum electrodynamic (QED) effects. Advanced spectrometer and detector design, when coupled with the new sources (e.g., EBIT, ECR, tokamak, laser and SIS/ESR) promise to extend the traditional proving grounds of high field QED from hydrogen-like ions on to He/Li-like and even Ne/Na-like ions where multi-electron effects are estimated to be of the order of 3 and 20%, respectively, for Z = 92. (orig.)