The Puzzle of the La I Lines 6520.644 Å and 6519.869 Å

The strong La line 6520.644 ? is present in a Fourier Transform Spectrum (signal to noise ratio of 240), but its wavelength in commonly used tables (e.g. [1]) is given as 6520.770 ?, while in [2] the wavelength is given as 6520.74 ?, unclassified, with the remark “h” (hazy). The line could not be classified using known energy levels of the La atom (La I) and its first ion (La II). It appears as a single broadened peak. By a combination of laser optogalvanic spectroscopy, laser-induced fluorescence and Doppler-reduced saturation spectroscopy we could introduce a new even parity La I energy level, 35449.041 cm -1, J = 13/2, with hyperfine (hf) constants A = ?8.0(5) MHz, B = 10(10) MHz. For a second, up to now unknown neighbouring La I line (wavelength 6519.869 ?) we introduced another even parity energy level involved in the formation of the line, 41207.994 cm -1, J = 13/2, A = 91.6(5) MHz, B = 170(50) MHz. We tried also to explain why in old tables the wavelength given was so different.