IFR ACR WITH ZDC IN DESCENT RECEIVED TCAS TA; OBSERVED TFC AND LEVELED OFF TO AVOID TFC.

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WE WERE ON J24; ABOUT 45 NM FROM FAK VOR WHEN ZDC INSTRUCTED US TO DSND FROM FL210 TO FL190. I STARTED A 1500 FPM DSCNT. SHORTLY AFTER STARTING OUR DSCNT; WE WERE ISSUED A TA BY OUR TCAS AND OBSERVED TFC AT ABOUT FL200 ON THE DISPLAY. I IMMEDIATELY GOT A VISUAL ON OUR TFC CONVERGING AT ABOUT OUR 1-2 O'CLOCK POS. THE TFC'S PATH AND PROX SEEMED TOO CLOSE FOR ME TO EXPEDITE THROUGH HIS ALT; SO I DECIDED TO STOP OUR DSCNT ABOUT 500 FT ABOVE HIM. AT ABOUT THIS TIME CTR ISSUED EXPEDITED VECTORS OF 90 DEG HDG FOR US AND A DIVERGENT HDG FOR OUR TFC. WE NEVER RECEIVED AN RA FROM OUR TCAS BECAUSE I STOPPED OUR DSCNT. HOWEVER; THE CTLR WAS NOTICEABLY FLUSTERED AFTER THIS EVENT. I CAN'T BE SURE HOW CLOSE WE CAME TO CONFLICTING TFC BECAUSE I LOST HIM IN THE TURN. WE COMPLETED THE FLT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE TA FROM OUR TCAS WARNED US OF THE CONFLICTING TFC; THE EXPEDITED TURN INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY ATC; AND THE CTLR SEEMED VERY SHAKEN AFTER THE EVENT. I MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TFC ONCE WE RECEIVED THE TA. I STOPPED OUR DSCNT WHEN; IN MY JUDGEMENT; WE WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE CONVERGING TFC TO DSND SAFELY THROUGH HIS ALT. ATC ISSUED DIVERGENT VECTORS TO BOTH ACFT. I DON'T WANT TO SPECULATE; BUT THE CTLR SOUNDED VERY BUSY ON THE FREQ.