Precise isotope shift and fine structure measurements are critically reviewed. Each experiment was checked for whether the data found for different transitions yielded consistent values for the difference in mean-square nuclear charge radius Δr2 of 6,7Li. Experiments that passed this test found Δr2 = 0.735 ± 0.036, 0.755 ± 0.023, and 0.739 ± 0.013 fm2 by studying the Li+ 1s2s 3S→1s2p 3P transition, the Li D lines and the Li 2S1/2→3S1/2 transition, respectively. These data determine the difference in mean-square nuclear charge radius 25 times more accurately than electron scattering. Similarly, averaging the fine structure data from the same experiments gives 62 678.75 ± 0.55 MHz for the 7Li+ 1s2p 3P1–2 interval, in good agreement with theory. The results for the 6,7Li 2P fine structure intervals, 10 0.52.954 ± 0.049 and 10 053.154 ± 0.040 MHz, exceed computed values by 2 MHz and yield a splitting isotope shift, which is nearly a factor of 2 lower than a theoretical estimate.
The mean square nuclear charge radius of