Charge-state distribution and Doppler effect in an expanding photoionized plasma.

The charge state distributions of Fe, Na, and F are determined in a photoionized laboratory plasma using high resolution x-ray spectroscopy. Independent measurements of the density and radiation flux indicate unprecedented values for the ionization parameter ���¾=20 25 erg cm s-1 under near steady-state conditions. Line opacities are well fitted by a curve-of-growth analysis which includes the effects of velocity gradients in a one-dimensional expanding plasma. First comparisons of the measured charge state distributions with x-ray photoionization models show reasonable agreement.

Fe XIII emission lines in active region spectra obtained with the Solar Extreme-Ultraviolet Research Telescope and Spectrograph

Recent fully relativistic calculations of radiative rates and electron impact excitation cross-sections for FeXIII are used to generate emission-line ratios involving 3s23p2-3s3p3 and 3s23p2-3s23p3d transitions in the 170-225 and 235-450 Å wavelength ranges covered by the Solar Extreme-Ultraviolet Research Telescope and Spectrograph (SERTS). A comparison of these line ratios with SERTS active region observations from rocket flights in 1989 and 1995 reveals generally very good agreement between theory and experiment. Several new FeXIII emission features are identified, at wavelengths of 203.79, 259.94, 288.56 and 290.81 Å. However, major discrepancies between theory and observation remain for several FeXIII transitions, as previously found by Landi and others, which cannot be explained by blending. Errors in the adopted atomic data appear to be the most likely explanation, in particular for transitions which have 3s23p3d1D2 as their upper level. The most useful FeXIII electron-density diagnostics in the SERTS spectral regions are assessed, in terms of the line pairs involved being (i) apparently free of atomic physics problems and blends, (ii) close in wavelength to reduce the effects of possible errors in the instrumental intensity calibration, and (iii) very sensitive to changes in Ne over the range 108-1011cm-3. It is concluded that the ratios which best satisfy these conditions are 200.03/202.04 and 203.17/202.04 for the 170-225 Å wavelength region, and 348.18/320.80, 348.18/368.16, 359.64/348.18 and 359.83/368.16 for 235-450 Å.

Electron impact excitation of Ar XVII

Energies for the lowest 49 levels among the 1s(2) and 1snl (n = 2-5) configurations of Ar XVII have been calculated using the GRASP code of Dyall et al. (1989, Comput. Phys. Comm., 55, 424). Additionally, radiative rates, oscillator strengths, and line strengths are calculated for all electric dipole (E1), magnetic dipole (M1), electric quadrupole (E2), and magnetic quadrupole (M2) transitions among these levels. Furthermore, collision strengths have also been calculated for all the 1176 transitions among the above 49 levels using the Dirac Atomic R-matrix Code (DARC) of Norrington & Grant (2005, Comput. Phys. Commun., in preparation), over a wide energy range up to 580 Ryd. Resonances have been resolved in the threshold region, and effective collision strengths have been obtained over a wide temperature range up to log T-e = 7.2 K. Comparisons are made with the limited results available in the literature, and the accuracy of the data is assessed. Our energy levels are estimated to be accurate to better than 0.1%, whereas results for other parameters are probably accurate to better than 20%.

Electron impact excitation of O VI

Energy levels and radiative rates for transitions among the lowest 24 fine-structure levels belonging to the ls(2) nl (n <5) configurations of Li-like O VI have been calculated using the fully relativistic GRASP code. Additionally, collision strengths for transitions among these levels have been computed over a wide energy range below 63 Ry, using the Dirac Atomic R- matrix Code. Resonances have been resolved in a fine energy mesh in order to calculate the effective collision strengths. Results for radiative rates, collision strengths, and effective collision strengths are presented for all transitions. Comparisons with other available results are made, and the accuracy of the present data is assessed. Energy levels are expected to be accurate to within 1%, while other parameters are probably accurate to better than 20%.

Electron impact excitation of C IV

Energy levels and radiative rates for transitions among the lowest 24 fine-structure levels belonging to the ls(2) nl (n <5) configurations of Li-like C IV have been calculated using the fully relativistic GRASP code. Additionally, collision strengths for transitions among these levels have been computed over a wide energy range below 28 Ry, using the Dirac Atomic R- matrix Code. Resonances have been resolved in a fine energy mesh in order to calculate the effective collision strengths. Results for radiative rates, collision strengths, and effective collision strengths are presented for all transitions. Comparisons with other available results are made, and the accuracy of the present data is assessed. Energy levels are expected to be accurate to within 1%, while other parameters are probably accurate to better than 20%.

Electron impact excitation of Fe XIII

Energy levels and radiative rates for transitions among the lowest 97 fine-structure levels belonging to the (1s(2) 2s(2) 2p(6)) 3 s(2) 3p(2), 3s3p(3), 3s(2) 3p3d, 3p(4), 3s3p(2) 3d and 3s(2) 3d(2) configurations of Fe XIII have been calculated using the fully relativistic GRASP code. Additionally, collision strengths for transitions among these levels have been computed using the Dirac Atomic R-matrix Code (DARC) of Norrington & Grant (2004). Radiative rates and oscillator strengths are tabulated for all allowed transitions among the 97 fine-structure levels, while collision strengths are reported for some transitions at a few energies above thresholds. Comparisons are made with the available results, and the accuracy of the data is assessed.

Electron impact excitation of Mo XXXIV

Energy levels and radiative rates for transitions among the lowest 60 fine-structure levels belonging to the (1s(2)) 2s(2)2p(5), 2s2p(6), and 2s(2)2p(4)3l configurations of F-like Mo XXXIV have been calculated using the fully relativistic GRASP code. Additionally, collision strengths for transitions among these levels have also been computed over a wide energy range below 3200 Ry. using the Dirac Atomic R-matrix Code. Resonances have been resolved in a fine energy mesh in order to calculate the effective collision strengths. Results for radiative rates, collision strengths, and excitation rates are presented for transitions from the lowest three levels to higher lying states. Comparisons with other available results are made, and the accuracy of the present data is assessed. Energy levels are expected to be accurate to within 1%, while other parameters are probably accurate to better than 20%.

Electron impact excitation of A1 XIII: A relativistic approach

Energy levels, radiative rates, collision strengths, and effective collision strengths for all transitions up to and including the n = 5 levels of AlXIII have been computed in the j j coupling scheme including relativistic effects. All partial waves with angular momentum J less than or equal to 60 have been included, and resonances have been resolved in a fine energy grid in the threshold region. Collision strengths are tabulated at energies above thresholds in the range 170.0 less than or equal to E less than or equal to 300.0 Ryd, and results for effective collision strengths, obtained after integrating the collision strengths over a Maxwellian distribution of electron velocities, are tabulated over a wide temperature range of 4.4 less than or equal to log T-e less than or equal to 6.8 K. The importance of including relativistic effects in a calculation is discussed in comparison with the earlier available non-relativistic results.

Energy levels and transition probabilities for nitrogen-like Fe xx

Energies of the 700 lowest levels in Fe XX have been obtained using the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock method. Configuration interaction method on the basis set of transformed radial orbitals with variable parameters taking into account relativistic corrections in the Breit-Pauli approximation was used to crosscheck our presented results. Transition probabilities, oscillator and line strengths are presented for electric dipole (E1), electric quadrupole (E2) and magnetic dipole (M1) transitions among these levels. The total radiative transition probabilities from each level are also provided. Results are compared with data compiled by NIST and with other theoretical work.

An investigation into the use of atomic datasets in simulations of the Ni-like gadolinium x-ray laser

The effect of differing the datasets used in the modelling of the Ni-like Gd x-ray laser (XRL) is examined through the 1.50 hydro-atomic code, EHYBRID. Two atomic datasets, including energy levels and radiative and collisional excitation rates, are used as input data for the code. It is found that the behaviour of the XRL is somewhat different than might be expected from superficial examination of the atomic data. The similarities in the gain profiles at low densities are found to have encouraging implications. in our attempts to model XRLs.

Inner-shell photoexcitation of Fe XV and Fe XVI

The configuration-interaction method as implemented in the computer code CIV3 is used to determine energy levels, electric dipole radiative transition wavelengths, oscillator strengths and transition probabilities for inner-shell excitation of transitions in Fe XV and Fe XVI. Specifically, transitions are considered of the type 1s(2) 2s(2) 2p(6) 3s(2) -1s(2) 2s(2) 2p(5) 3l3l' 3l" (l, l' and l" = s,p or d) in FeXV and 1s(2) 2s(2) 2p(6) 3s- 1s(2) 2s(2) 2p(5) 3l3l' (l and l' = s,p or d) in FeXVI, using the relativistic Breit-Pauli approach. An assessment of the accuracy of the derived atomic data is performed.

Electron recombination with multicharged ions via chaotic many-electron states

We show that a dense spectrum of chaotic multiply excited eigenstates can play a major role in collision processes involving many-electron multicharged ions. A statistical theory based on chaotic properties of the eigenstates enables one to obtain relevant energy-averaged cross sections in terms of sums over single-electron orbitals. Our calculation of low-energy electron recombination of Au25+ shows that the resonant process is 200 times more intense than direct radiative recombination, which explains the recent experimental results of Hoffknecht [J. Phys. B 31, 2415 (1998)].

Light emission from scanning tunnelling microscope on polycrystalline Au films - what is happening at the single-grain level?

When operated with a metallic tip and sample the scanning tunnelling microscope constitutes a nanoscale, plasmonic light source yielding broadband emission up to a photon energy determined by the applied bias. The emission is due to tunnelling electron excitation and subsequent radiative decay of localized plasmon modes, which can be on the lateral scale of a single metal grain (similar to 25 nm) or less. For a Au-tip/Au-polycrystalline sample under ambient conditions it is found that the intensity and spectral content of the emitted light are not dependent on the lateral grain dimension, but are predominantly determined by the tip geometry. However, the intensity increases strongly with increasing film thickness (grain depth) up to 20-25 nm or approximately the skin depth of the Au film. Photon maps can show less emissive grains and two classes of this occurrence are distinguished. The first is geometrical in origin - a double-tip structure in this case - while the second is due to a contamination-induced lowering of the local work function that causes the tunnel gap to increase. It is suggested that differences in work-function lowering between grains presenting different crystalline facets, combined with an exponential decay in emitted light intensity with tip - sample distance, leads to grain contrast. These results are relevant to tip-enhanced Raman scattering and the fabrication of micro/nano-scale planar, light-emitting tunnel devices.

He-like x-ray line emission from laser irradiated sources

Photon yields for the 1s(2)-1s2p (He-alpha) transition of He- like ions have been measured for laser irradiated, thin foils of Ti, V and Fe. The laser pulses were of 0.527 mum wavelength and of either 80 or 300 ps duration. The data shows significant shot-to-shot variation but the Ti data is broadly consistent with previous results. In this work, we extend the previous results to include, new elements, longer pulse lengths and yields measured for emission from both surfaces of the foils. We compare our data to simulations using a hydrodynamic code and a collisional radiative model.