Simultaneously theoretical and computational approaches provided data necessary for identification of new spectra and interpretation of observed line intensities. New laboratory and theoretical data become very useful for spectral observation in space. It was a real upheaval of works on MIA in USA, England, France, Italy, Israel, Sweden, Russia and other countries
A new page in the spectroscopy of MIA may be dated as 1986 with development of EBIT (Levine and Marrs, LLNL) due to a favorable composition of modern high technologies such as cryogenics, ultra-high vacuum, superconducting magnets, powerful electron beams and semiconductor detectors. Very quickly EBIT sources were created in many countries (see NIST summary for many details as well as reviews.)
A wide field of spectroscopic research with EBIT is enabled including achievement of highest grades of ionization (U), wavelength measurement, hyperfine structure of energy levels, quantum electrodynamic studies, ionization cross-sections (CS) measurements, electron-impact excitation CS, X-ray polarization, relative line intensities, dielectronic recombination CS, magnetic octupole decay, lifetimes of forbidden transitions, charge-exchange recombination, etc.