Energy levels and radiative rates for transitions in Ti VII

We report calculations of energy levels, radiative rates, oscillator strengths and line strengths for transitions among the lowest 231 levels of Ti VII. The general-purpose relativistic atomic structure package ({\sc grasp}) and flexible atomic code ({\sc fac}) are adopted for the calculations. Radiative rates, oscillator strengths and line strengths are provided for all electric dipole (E1), magnetic dipole (M1), electric quadrupole (E2) and magnetic quadrupole (M2) transitions among the 231 levels, although calculations have been performed for a much larger number of levels (159,162). In addition, lifetimes for all 231 levels are listed. Comparisons are made with existing results and the accuracy of the data is assessed. In particular, the most recent calculations reported by Singh {\em et al} [Can J. Phys. {\bf 90} (2012) 833] are found to be unreliable, with discrepancies for energy levels of up to 1 Ryd and for radiative rates of up to five orders of magnitude for several transitions, particularly the weaker ones. Based on several comparisons among a variety of calculations with two independent codes, as well as with the earlier results, our listed energy levels are estimated to be accurate to better than $1\%$ (within 0.1 Ryd), whereas results for radiative rates and other related parameters should be accurate to better than $20\%$.Comment: Text 11p, Tables 6, to appear in Physica Scripta 88 (2013) XXX. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1307.2732, arXiv:1307.247

Energy levels, radiative rates and electron impact excitation rates for transitions in Si II

Energies for the lowest 56 levels, belonging to the 3s$^2$3p, 3s3p$^2$, 3p$^3$, 3s$^2$3d, 3s3p3d, 3s$^2$4$\ell$ and 3s$^2$5$\ell$ configurations of Si II, are calculated using the {\sc grasp} (General-purpose Relativistic Atomic Structure Package) code. Analogous calculations have also been performed (for up to 175 levels) using the Flexible Atomic Code ({\sc fac}). Furthermore, radiative rates are calculated for all E1, E2, M1 and M2 transitions. Extensive comparisons are made with available theoretical and experimental energy levels, and the accuracy of the present results is assessed to be better than 0.1 Ryd. Similarly, the accuracy for radiative rates (and subsequently lifetimes) is estimated to be better than 20% for most of the (strong) transitions. Electron impact excitation collision strengths are also calculated, with the Dirac Atomic R-matrix Code ({\sc darc}), over a wide energy range up to 13 Ryd. Finally, to determine effective collision strengths, resonances are resolved in a fine energy mesh in the thresholds region. These collision strengths are averaged over a Maxwellian velocity distribution and results listed over a wide range of temperatures, up to 10$^{5.5}$ K. Our data are compared with earlier $R$-matrix calculations and differences noted, up to a factor of two, for several transitions. Although scope remains for improvement, the accuracy for our results of collision strengths and effective collision strengths is assessed to be about 20% for a majority of transitions.Comment: Text: 8 pages, Tables: 6, Figures: 8 Will appear in MNRAS (2014

Assessment of atomic data: problems and solutions

For the reliable analysis and modelling of astrophysical, laser-produced and fusion plasmas, atomic data are required for a number of parameters, including energy levels, radiative rates and electron impact excitation rates. Such data are desired for a range of elements (H to W) and their many ions. However, measurements of atomic data, mainly for radiative and excitation rates, are not feasible for many species and therefore calculations are needed. For some ions (such as of C, Fe and Kr) there are a variety of calculations available in the literature, but often they significantly differ from one another. Therefore, there is a great demand from the user community to have data `assessed' for accuracy so that they can be confidently applied to the modelling of plasmas. In this paper we highlight the difficulties in assessing atomic data and offer some solutions for improving the accuracy of calculated results.Comment: 17 pages of Text only with 60 References - to be published in FS&T (2013

Energy levels and radiative rates for transitions in Ti VI

We report on calculations of energy levels, radiative rates, oscillator strengths, and line strengths for transitions among the lowest 253 levels of the (1s$^2$2s$^2$2p$^6$) 3s$^2$3p$^5$, 3s3p$^6$, 3s$^2$3p$^4$3d, 3s3p$^5$3d, 3s$^2$3p$^33d^2$, 3s$^2$3p$^4$4s, 3s$^2$3p$^4$4p and 3s$^2$3p$^4$4d configurations of Ti VI. The general-purpose relativistic atomic structure package ({\sc grasp}) and flexible atomic code ({\sc fac}) are adopted for the calculations. Radiative rates, oscillator strengths and line strengths are reported for all electric dipole (E1), magnetic dipole (M1), electric quadrupole (E2) and magnetic quadrupole (M2) transitions among the 253 levels, although calculations have been performed for a much larger number of levels. Comparisons are made with existing available results and the accuracy of the data is assessed. Additionally, lifetimes for all 253 levels are listed, although comparisons with other theoretical results are limited to only 88 levels. Our energy levels are estimated to be accurate to better than 1% (within 0.03 Ryd), whereas results for other parameters are probably accurate to better than 20%. A reassessment of the energy level data on the NIST website for Ti VI is suggested.Comment: 12p Text and 9 Tables will appear in Physica Scripta 88 (2013) xxxxx

Energy levels, radiative rates, and lifetimes for transitions in W XL

Energy levels and radiative rates are reported for transitions in Br-like W XL, calculated with the general-purpose relativistic atomic structure package ({\sc grasp}). Configuration interaction (CI) has been included among 46 configurations (generating 4215 levels) over a wide energy range up to 213 Ryd. However, for conciseness results are only listed for the lowest 360 levels (with energies up to $\sim$ 43 Ryd), which mainly belong to the 4s$^2$4p$^5$, 4s$^2$4p$^4$4d, 4s$^2$4p$^4$4f, 4s4p$^6$, 4p$^6$4d, 4s4p$^5$4d, 4s$^2$4p$^3$4d$^2$, and 4s$^2$4p$^3$4d4f configurations, and provided for four types of transitions, i.e. E1, E2, M1, and M2. Comparisons are made with existing (but limited) results. However, to fully assess the accuracy of our data, analogous calculations have been performed with the flexible atomic code ({\sc fac}), including even a larger CI than in {\sc grasp}. Our energy levels are estimated to be accurate to better than 0.02 Ryd, whereas results for radiative rates (and lifetimes) should be accurate to better than $20\%$ for a majority of the strong transitions.Comment: 12p Text+2 Tables. The paper will appear this year in ADND

High-precision transit observations of the exoplanet WASP-13b with the RISE instrument

WASP-13b is a sub-Jupiter mass exoplanet orbiting a G1V type star with a period of 4.35 d. The current uncertainty in its impact parameter (0 < b < 0.46) results in poorly defined stellar and planetary radii. To better constrain the impact parameter, we have obtained high-precision transit observations with the rapid imager to search for exoplanets (RISE) instrument mounted on 2.0-m Liverpool Telescope. We present four new transits which are fitted with a Markov chain Monte Carlo routine to derive accurate system parameters. We found an orbital inclination of 85°.2 ± 0°.3 resulting in stellar and planetary radii of 1.56 ± 0.04 R⊙ and 1.39 ± 0.05RJup, respectively. This suggests that the host star has evolved off the main sequence and is in the hydrogen-shell-burning phase. We also discuss how the limb darkening affects the derived system parameters. With a density of 0.17ρJ, WASP-13b joins the group of low-density planets whose radii are too large to be explained by standard irradiation models. We derive a new ephemeris for the system, T0= 245 5575.5136 ± 0.0016 (HJD) and P= 4.353 011 ± 0.000 013 d. The planet equilibrium temperature (Tequ= 1500 K) and the bright host star (V= 10.4 mag) make it a good candidate for follow-up atmospheric studies

A transit timing analysis of seven RISE light curves of the exoplanet system HAT-P-3

We present seven light curves of the exoplanet system HAT-P-3, taken as part of a transit timing programme using the rapid imager to search for exoplanets instrument on the Liverpool Telescope. The light curves are analysed using a Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm to update the parameters of the system. The inclination is found to be i= 86.75+0.22−0.21 °, the planet-star radius ratio to be Rp/R★= 0.1098+0.0010−0.0012 and the stellar radius to be R★= 0.834+0.018−0.026 R⊙, consistent with previous results but with a significant improvement in the precision. Central transit times and uncertainties for each light curve are also determined, and a residual permutation algorithm is used as an independent check on the errors. The transit times are found to be consistent with a linear ephemeris, and a new ephemeris is calculated as Tc(0) = 245 4856.701 18 ± 0.000 18 HJD and P= 2.899 738 ± 0.000 007 d. Model timing residuals are fitted to the measured timing residuals to place upper mass limits for a hypothetical perturbing planet as a function of the period ratio. These show that we have probed for planets with masses as low as 0.33 and 1.81 M⊕ in the interior and exterior 2:1 resonances, respectively, assuming the planets are initially in circular orbits

X-ray line coincidence photopumping in a solar flare

Line coincidence photopumping is a process where the electrons of an atomic or molecular species are radiatively excited through the absorption of line emission from another species at a coincident wavelength. There are many instances of line coincidence photopumping in astrophysical sources at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths, with the most famous example being Bowen fluorescence (pumping of O III 303.80 Å by He II), but none to our knowledge in X-rays. However, here we report on a scheme where a He-like line of Ne IX at 11.000 Å is photopumped by He-like Na X at 11.003 Å, which predicts significant intensity enhancement in the Ne IX 82.76 Å transition under physical conditions found in solar flare plasmas. A comparison of our theoretical models with published X-ray observations of a solar flare obtained during a rocket flight provides evidence for line enhancement, with the measured degree of enhancement being consistent with that expected from theory, a truly surprising result. Observations of this enhancement during flares on stars other than the Sun would provide a powerful new diagnostic tool for determining the sizes of flare loops in these distant, spatially unresolved, astronomical sources

Generation of photoionized plasmas in the laboratory of relevance to accretion-powered x-ray sources using keV line radiation

We describe laboratory experiments to generate x-ray photoionized plasmas of relevance to accretion-powered x-ray sources such as neutron star binaries and quasars, with significant improvements over previous work. A key quantity is referenced, namely the photoionization parameter, defined as ξ = 4πF/newhere F is the x-ray flux and ne the electron density. This is normally meaningful in an astrophysical steady-state context, but is also commonly used in the literature as a figure of merit for laboratory experiments that are, of necessity, time-dependent. We demonstrate emission-weighted values of ξ > 50 erg-cm s−1 using laser-plasma x-ray sources, with higher results at the centre of the plasma which are in the regime of interest for several astrophysical scenarios. Comparisons of laboratory experiments with astrophysical codes are always limited, principally by the many orders of magnitude differences in time and spatial scales, but also other plasma parameters. However useful checks on performance can often be made for a limited range of parameters. For example, we show that our use of a keV line source, rather than the quasi-blackbody radiation fields normally employed in such experiments, has allowed the generation of the ratio of inner-shell to outer-shell photoionization expected from a blackbody source with ∼keV spectral temperature. We compare calculations from our in-house plasma modelling code with those from Cloudy and find moderately good agreement for the time evolution of both electron temperature and average ionisation. However, a comparison of code predictions for a K-β argon X-ray spectrum with experimental data reveals that our Cloudy simulation overestimates the intensities of more highly ionised argon species. This is not totally surprising as the Cloudy model was generated for a single set of plasma conditions, while the experimental data are spatially integrated

L-shell X-Ray conversion yields for laser-irradiated tin and silver foils

We have employed the VULCAN laser facility to generate a laser plasma X-ray source for use in photoionization experiments. A nanosecond laser pulse with an intensity of order 1015 Wcm−2 was used to irradiate thin Ag or Sn foil targets coated onto a parylene substrate, and the L-shell emission in the 3.3–4.4 keV range was recorded for both the laser-irradiated and nonirradiated sides. Both the experimental and simulation results show higher laser to X-ray conversion yields for Ag compared with Sn, with our simulations indicating yields approximately a factor of two higher than those found in the experiments. Although detailed angular data were not available experimentally, the simulations indicate that the emission is quite isotropic on the laser-irradiated side but shows close to a cosine variation on the nonirradiated side of the target as seen experimentally in the previous work