March 28, 2000
Relativistic atomic structure calculations for electric dipole E1, electric quadrupole E2 and magnetic dipole M1 transition probabilities among the first 80 fine-structure levels of Fe VI, dominated by configurations 3d^3, 3d^24s, and 3d^24p, are carried out using the Breit-Pauli version of the code Superstructure. Experimental energies are used to improve the accuracy of these transition probabilities. Employing the 80-level collision-radiative (CR) model with these dipole and forbidden transition probabilities, and Iron Project R-matrix collisional data, we present a number of [Fe VI] line ratios applicable to spectral diagnostics of photoionized H II regions. It is shown that continuum fluorescent excitation needs to be considered in CR models in order to interpret the observed line ratios of optical [Fe VI] lines in planetary nebulae NGC 6741, IC 351, and NGC 7662. The analysis leads to parametrization of line ratios as function of, and as constraints on, the electron density and temperature, as well as the effective radiation temperature of the central source and a geometrical dilution factor. The spectral diagnostics may also help ascertain observational uncertainties. The method may be generally applicable to other objects with intensive background radiation fields, such as novae and active galactic nuclei. The extensive new Iron Project radiative and collisional calculations enable a consistent analysis of many line ratios for the complex iron ions.
Similar papers 1
February 10, 2000
An extensive set of dipole-allowed, intercombination, and forbidden transition probabilities for Fe V is presented. The Breit-Pauli R-matrix (BPRM) method is used to calculate 1.46 x 10^6 oscillator strengths for the allowed and intercombination E1 transitions among 3,865 fine-structure levels dominated by configuration complexes with n <= 10 and l <= 9. These data are complemented by an atomic structure configuration interaction (CI) calculation using the SUPERSTRUCTURE prog...
May 21, 2015
We present extensive calculations of radiative transition rates and electron impact collision strengths for Fe II. The data sets involve 52 levels from the $3d\,^7$, $3d\,^64s$, and $3d\,^54s^2$ configurations. Computations of $A$-values are carried out with a combination of state-of-the-art multiconfiguration approaches, namely the relativistic Hartree--Fock, Thomas--Fermi--Dirac potential, and Dirac--Fock methods; while the $R$-matrix plus intermediate coupling frame transf...
September 8, 2004
We present new calculations for transition probabilities of Fe IV, with much more extensive datasets than heretofore available. The large-scale close coupling R-matrix calculations yield 1,798 LS bound states with n $\leq$ 11 and $l \leq$ 9, and corresponding transition probabilities for 138,121 dipole allowed transitions in the form of oscillator strengths $f$, line strengths $S$, and A-coeffficients for a variety of applications. This represents the largest R-matrix dataset...
February 26, 2003
An extensive set of fine structure levels and corresponding transition probabilities for allowed and forbidden transitions in Fe XVII is presented. A total of 490 bound energy levels of Fe XVII of total angular momenta 0 <= J <= 7 of even and odd parities with 2 <= n <= 10, 0 <= l <= 8, 0 <= L <= 8, and singlet and triplet multiplicities, are obtained. They translate to over 2.6 x 10^4 allowed (E1) transitions that are of dipole and intercombination type, and about 3000 forbi...
July 12, 2010
We present new atomic data (radiative transitions rates and collision strengths) from large scale calculations and a non-LTE spectral model for Fe III. This model is in very good agreement with observed astronomical emission spectra, in contrast with previous models that yield large discrepancies with observations. The present atomic computations employ a combination of atomic physics methods, e.g. relativistic Hatree-Fock, the Thomas-Fermi-Dirac potential, and Dirac-Fock com...
April 29, 2017
Recent state-of-the-art calculations of A-values and electron impact excitation rates for Fe III are used in conjunction with the Cloudy modeling code to derive emission line intensity ratios for optical transitions among the fine-structure levels of the 3d$^6$ configuration. A comparison of these with high resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra of gaseous nebulae reveals that previous discrepancies found between theory and observation are not fully resolved by the latest a...
April 6, 2005
We study the current discrepancy between the model-predicted and measured concentrations of Fe++ and Fe3+ in ionized nebulae. We calculate a set of photoionization models, updated with the atomic data relevant to the problem, and compare their results with those derived for the available nebulae where both [Fe III] and [Fe IV] lines have been measured. Our new model results are closer to the measured values than the results of previous calculations, but a discrepancy remains....
February 19, 2002
A hot central star illuminating the surrounding ionized H II region usually produces very rich atomic spectra resulting from basic atomic processes: photoionization, electron-ion recombination, bound-bound radiative transitions, and collisional excitation of ions. Precise diagnostics of nebular spectra depend on accurate atomic parameters for these processes. Latest developments in theoretical computations are described, especially under two international collaborations known...
December 8, 2008
We constrain the iron abundance in a sample of 33 low-ionization Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) using [Fe III] lines and correcting for the contribution of higher ionization states with ionization correction factors (ICFs) that take into account uncertainties in the atomic data. We find very low iron abundances in all the objects, suggesting that more than 90% of their iron atoms are condensed onto dust grains. This number is based on the solar iron abundance and implies a ...
June 4, 2014
The spectrum of the Fe I atom is critical to many areas of astrophysics and beyond. Measurements of the energies of its high-lying levels remain woefully incomplete, however, despite extensive analysis of ultraviolet laboratory iron absorption spectra, optical laboratory iron emission spectra, and the solar infrared spectrum. In this work we use as sources the high-resolution archival absorption-line ultraviolet and optical spectra of stars, whose warm temperatures favor mode...