Lifetime measurements of the 7d levels of atomic francium

Summary form only given. Atomic lifetime measurements are important probes of atomic structure because they depend on the initial and final state wave functions and the interaction that connects them. The study of francium, the heaviest alkali, has two advantages over other heavy elements. It has a simple atomic structure to calculate accurately, and it is possible to trap it with the well developed techniques of laser trapping and cooling despite the fact that its longest-lived isotope has a half-life of 20 minutes. Francium has the potential to increase our understanding of relativistic atoms while at the same time providing a good candidate for tests of the fundamental symmetries of parity and time in a calculable atomic system.