The limit of convergence at higher frequency in an emission spectrum corresponds to the first ionization energy
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Peer-reviewed literature demonstrates that evaluating the convergence of Rydberg series in an atomic emission spectrum allows for the determination of the first ionization potential.
Abstract Rydberg levels in the atomic spectrum of the element polonium (Po, Z = 84) were investigated using two-step laser resonance ionization spectroscopy in order to probe and determine the first ionization potential with high accuracy. As polonium has no stable isotopes, laser resonance ionization spectroscopy was carried out in-source at the Isotope Separator On-Line (ISOL) facility where the radioisotope 206Po was detected after mass separation. Evaluating the convergence of the observed Rydberg series results in a first ionization potential EIP(Po) = 8.418072(3)stat(15)systeV and more than 100 new even-parity Rydberg states belonging to 5 different series. The determined EIP is compared to available literature values and state of the art theoretical atomic many-body calculations.