Search for: All records

This work reports large-scale calculations of electron excitation effective collision strengths and transition rates for a wide range of Sciispectral lines for astrophysical analysis and modeling. The present results are important for reliable abundance determinations in various astrophysical objects, including metal-poor stars, Hiiregions, and gaseous nebulae. Accurate descriptions of the target wave functions and adequate accounts of the various interactions between the target levels are of primary importance for calculations of collision and radiative parameters. The target wave functions have been determined by a combination of the multiconfiguration Hartree–Fock and B-spline box-based close-coupling methods, together with the nonorthogonal orbitals technique. The calculations of the collision strengths have been performed using the B-spline Breit–Pauli R-matrix method. The close-coupling expansion includes 145 fine-structure levels of Sciibelonging to the terms of the 3p⁶3d², 3p⁶3d4l(l= 0–3), 3p⁶3d5l(l= 0–3), 3p⁶3d6s, 3p⁶4s², 3p⁶4s4l(l= 0–3), 3p⁶4s5l(l= 0–1), and 3p⁶4p²configurations. The effective collision strengths are reported as a function of electron temperature in the range from 10³to 10⁵K. The collision and radiative rates are reported for all of the possible transitions between the 145 fine-structure levels. Striking discrepancies exist with the previous R-matrix calculations of the effective collision strengths for the majority of the transitions, indicating possible systematic errors in these calculations. Thus, there is a need for accurate calculations to reduce the uncertainties in the atomic data. The likely uncertainties in our effective collision strengths and radiative parameters have been assessed by means of comparisons with other collision calculations and available experimental radiative parameters.

 

We report on a series of detailed Breit-Pauli and Dirac B-spline R-matrix (DBSR) differential cross section (DCS) calculations for excitation of the$$5\,^2\textrm{S}_{1/2} \rightarrow 5\,^2\textrm{P}_{1/2}$$$5{}^2{\text{S}}_{1/2}\to 5{}^2{\text{P}}_{1/2}$and$$5\,^2\textrm{S}_{1/2}\rightarrow 5\,^2\textrm{P}_{3/2}$$$5{}^2{\text{S}}_{1/2}\to 5{}^2{\text{P}}_{3/2}$states in rubidium by 40 eV incident electrons. The early BP computations shown here were carried out with both 5 states and 12 states, while the DBSR models coupled 150 and 325 states, respectively. We also report corresponding results from a limited set of DCS measurements on the unresolved$$5\,^2\textrm{P}_{1/2,3/2}$$$5{}^2{\text{P}}_{1/2,3/2}$states, with the experimental data being restricted to the scattered electron angular range 2–$$10^\circ $$${10}^{\circ }$. Typically, good agreement is found between our calculated and measured DCS for excitation of the unresolved$$5\,^2\textrm{P}_{1/2,3/2}$$$5{}^2{\text{P}}_{1/2,3/2}$states, with best accord being found between the DBSR predictions and the measured data. The present theoretical and experimental results are also compared with predictions from earlier 40 eV calculations using the nonrelativistic Distorted-Wave Born Approximation and a Relativistic Distorted-Wave model.

 

The B-spline R-matrix method is used to investigate the photoionization of neutral iron from the ground and excited states in the energy region from the ionization thresholds to 2 Ry. The multiconfiguration Hartree-Fock method in connection with adjustable configuration expansions and term-dependent orbitals is employed for an accurate representation of the initial states of Fe I and the target wave functions of Fe II. The close-coupling expansion contains 261 LS states of Fe II and includes all levels of the 3d^6 4s, 3d^5 4s^2, 3d^7, 3d^6 4p, and 3d^5 4s4p configurations. Full inclusion of all terms from the principal configurations considerably changes both the lowenergy resonance structure and the energy dependence of the background cross sections. Partial cross sections are analyzed in detail to clarify the most important scattering channels. Comparison with other calculations is used to place uncertainty bounds on our final photoionization cross sections and to assess the likely uncertainties in the existing data sets.