Iron and Nickel spectral opacity calculations in conditions relevant for pulsating stellar envelopes and experiments

Seismology of stars is strongly developing. To address this question we have formed an international collaboration OPAC to perform specific experimental measurements, compare opacity calculations and improve the opacity calculations in the stellar codes [1]. We consider the following opacity codes: SCO, CASSANDRA, STA, OPAS, LEDCOP, OP, SCO-RCG. Their comparison has shown large differences for Fe and Ni in equivalent conditions of envelopes of type II supernova precursors, temperatures between 15 and 40 eV and densities of a few mg/cm3 [2, 3, 4]. LEDCOP, OPAS, SCO-RCG structure codes and STA give similar results and differ from OP ones for the lower temperatures and for spectral interval values [3]. In this work we discuss the role of Configuration Interaction (CI) and the influence of the number of used configurations. We present and include in the opacity code comparisons new HULLAC-v9 calculations [5, 6] that include full CI. To illustrate the importance of this effect we compare different CI approximations (modes) available in HULLAC-v9 [7]. These results are compared to previous predictions and to experimental data. Differences with OP results are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, conference Inertial Fusion Sciences and Applications, Bordeaux, 12th to 16th September 2011; EPJ web of Conferences 201

All-Order Full-Coulomb Quantum Spectral Line-Shape Calculations

Understanding how atoms interact with hot dense matter is essential for astrophysical and laboratory plasmas. Interactions in high-density plasmas broaden spectral lines, providing a rare window into interactions that govern, for example, radiation transport in stars. However, up to now, spectral line-shape theories employed at least one of three common approximations: second-order Taylor treatment of broadening operator, dipole-only interactions between atom and plasma, and classical treatment of perturbing electrons. In this Letter, we remove all three approximations simultaneously for the first time and test the importance for two applications: neutral hydrogen and highly ionized magnesium and oxygen. We found 15%-50% change in the spectral line widths, which are sufficient to impact applications including white-dwarf mass determination, stellar-opacity research, and laboratory plasma diagnostics. © 2021 American Physical Society.Immediate accessThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Seismic inversion of the solar entropy: A case for improving the Standard Solar Model

International audienceContext. The Sun is the most constrained and well-studied of all stars. As a consequence, the physical ingredients entering solar models are used as a reference to study all other stars observed in the Universe. However, our understanding of the solar structure is still imperfect, as illustrated by the current debate on the heavy element abundances in the Sun.Aims. We provide additional information on the solar structure by carrying out structural inversions of a new physical quantity, a proxy of the entropy of the solar plasma whose properties are very sensitive to the temperature gradient below the convective zone.Methods. We use new structural kernels to carry out direct inversions of an entropy proxy of the solar plasma and compare the solar structure to various standard solar models built using various opacity tables and chemical abundances. We also link our results to classical tests commonly found in the literature.Results. Our analysis allows us to probe more efficiently the uncertain regions of the solar models, just below the convective zone, paving the way for new in-depth analyses of the Sun taking into account additional physical uncertainties of solar models beyond the specific question of chemical abundances.Key words: Sun: helioseismology / Sun: oscillations / Sun: fundamental parameter

Interaction of configuration in spectral opacity calculations for stellar physics

We discuss the role of Configuration Interaction (CI) and the influence of the number of configurations taken into account in the calculations of nickel and iron spectral opacities provided by the OPAC international collaboration, including statistical approaches (SCO, CASSANDRA, STA), detailed accounting (OPAS, LEDCOP, OP, HULLAC-v9) or hybrid method (SCO-RCG). Opacity calculations are presented for a temperature T of 27.3 eV and a density of 3.4 mg/cm3, conditions relevant for pulsating stellar envelopes

Radiative properties of stellar envelopes: Comparison of asteroseismic results to opacity calculations and measurements for iron and nickel

International audienceThe international OPAC consortium consists of astrophysicists, plasma physicists and experimentalists who examine opacity calculations used in stellar physics that appear questionable and perform new calculations and laser experiments to understand the differences and improve the calculations. We report on iron and nickel opacities for envelopes of stars from 2 to and deliver our first conclusions concerning the reliability of the used calculations by illustrating the importance of the configuration interaction and of the completeness of the calculations for temperatures around 15–27 eV