ATOMIC STRUCTURES OF HEAVY ELEMENTS : RECENT PROGRESS AND PERSPECTIVES

In the present paper, we discuss some recent advances concerning the determination of new radiative parameters (transition probabilities, oscillator strengths, radiative lifetimes, branching fractions, Landé factors) in heavy ions. We also emphasize the difficulties that are frequently met in the field and that sometimes prevent obtaining accurate atomic data for the transitions of
astrophysical interest. We concentrate particularly on the determination of radiative parameters for selected rare-earth (RE) ions (lanthanides and actinides) and for some atoms and ions of the sixth row of the periodic table.