Photoionization of the valence shells of the neutral tungsten atom

Results from large-scale theoretical cross section calculations for the total photoionization of the 4f, 5s, 5p and 6s orbitals of the neutral tungsten atom using the Dirac Coulomb R-matrix approximation (DARC: Dirac-Atomic R-matrix codes) are presented. Comparisons are made with previous theoretical methods and prior experimental measurements. In previous experiments a time-resolved dual laser approach was employed for the photo-absorption of metal vapours and photo-absorption measurements on tungsten in a solid, using synchrotron radiation. The lowest ground state level of neutral tungsten is $\rm 5p^6 5d^4 6s^2 \; {^5}D_{\it J}$, with $\it J$=0, and requires only a single dipole matrix for photoionization. To make a meaningful comparison with existing experimental measurements, we statistically average the large-scale theoretical PI cross sections from the levels associated with the ground state $\rm 5p^6 5d^4 6s^2 \; {^5}D_{\it J}[{\it J}=0,1,2,3,4]$ levels and the \rm 5d^56s \; ^7S_3 excited metastable level. As the experiments have a self-evident metastable component in their ground state measurement, averaging over the initial levels allows for a more consistent and realistic comparison to be made. In the wider context, the absence of many detailed electron-impact excitation (EIE) experiments for tungsten and its multi-charged ion stages allows current photoionization measurements and theory to provide a road-map for future electron-impact excitation, ionization and di-electronic cross section calculations by identifying the dominant resonance structure and features across an energy range of hundreds of eV.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in J Phys B: At. Mol. Opt. Phy

Transient motion of a circular plate after an impact

The transient response of a flat circular plate to a sudden impact has been studied experimentally and theoretically. High-speed electronic speckle pattern interferometry reveals the presence of pulses that travel around the edge of the plate ahead of the bending motion initiated by the strike. It is found that the transient motion of the plate is well described by Kirchhoff thin-plate theory over a time approximately equal to the time required for the initial impulse to circumvent the plate; however, a more sophisticated model is required to describe the motion after this time has elapsed

R-Matrix Scattering Calculations for Iron-Peak Species: Photoionisation of Fe I and Electron-Impact Excitation of Fe II

An abundance of absorption and emission lines of iron-peak species such as Fe I and Fe II can be seen in the spectra of many astrophysical objects. Thus, the accurate modelling of such spectra requires sets of high quality atomic data for these species. In this paper, we present preliminary results from the present electron-impact excitation calculations for Fe II and fine-structure resolved photoionisation calculations for Fe I employing the Dirac atomic R-matrix and Breit–Pauli R-matrix methods. For the Fe II excitation, we compare results with all existing calculations, and for the Fe I photoionisation, we present a sample of level-resolved cross-sections. The calculations and results described throughout will be of use to those requiring high quality atomic data for modelling a wide variety of astrophysical objects

Emission Line Ratios of FE III as Astrophysical Plasma Diagnostics

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 3d6 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 atomic data. Blending is ruled out as a likely cause of the discrepancies, because temperature- and density-independent ratios (arising from lines with common upper levels) match well with those predicted by theory. For a typical nebular plasma with electron temperature Te = 9000 K and electron density Ne = 104 cm-3, cascading of electrons from the levels 3G5, 3G4 and 3G3 plays an important role in determining the populations of lower levels, such as 3F4, which provide the density diagnostic emission lines of Fe III, such as 5D4 - 3F4 at 4658 Å. Hence, further work on the A-values for these transitions is recommended, ideally including measurements if possible. However, some Fe III ratios do provide reliable Ne-diagnostics, such as 4986/4658. The Fe III cooling function, calculated with Cloudy using the most recent atomic data, is found to be significantly greater at Te ≃ 30,000 K than predicted with the existing Cloudy model. This is due to the presence of additional emission lines with the new data, particularly in the 1000–4000 Å wavelength region