To fully utilize experimental internal conversion coefficients, one needs a reliable calculation of theoretical values. We have assembled a set of 100 experimental conversion coefficients, 45 ${\alpha }_K$ and 55 ${\alpha }_T$ values, measured with an accuracy of better than 5%, and generated the corresponding theoretical values using two methods, relativistic Hartree-Fock-Slater (RHFS) and relativistic Dirac-Fock (DF). Extensive comparisons of the experimental values with the two sets of theoretical values show that the DF method is clearly superior to the RHFS method in the overall reproduction of the experimental internal conversion coefficients. We discuss in some detail the differences between various versions of these two theoretical approaches, with a view to understanding which of these differences are most critical to obtaining agreement with experiment.

• Received 30 May 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.66.044312