Identification of new fluorescence processes in the UV spectra of cool stars from new energy levels of Fe II and Cr II

Two fluorescence processes operating in atmospheres of cool stars, symbiotic stars, and the Sun are presented. Two emission lines, at 1347.03 and 1360.17 A, are identified as fluorescence lines of Cr II and Fe II. The lines are due to transitions from highly excited levels, which are populated radiatively by the hydrogen Lyman alpha line due to accidental wavelength coincidences. Three energy levels, one in Cr II and two in Fe II, are reported

Fluorescence processes and line identifications in the UV spectra of cool stars

Fluorescence processes active in the outer atmospheres of noncoronal cool stars and the UV lines they produce are summarized. Eight pumping processes and 21 fluorescent line products are discussed. The processes, which produce 12 lines, involves energy levels not previously known to be radiatively populated. Four of these are examples of self-fluorescence, whereby one or more lines of Fe II photo-excite through coincident lines the upper levels of other Fe II lines lines seen in emission, while two others explain the selective excitation of solitary Ni II and Si I lines. Nine of the line products are decays from levels in Fe I and Fe II already known to be radiatively populated

Laser action in a gas condensation in the vicinity of a hot star

In the region near 1 µm, we have found laser action in a quantum transition between highly excited states of Fe II, with its higher levels being optically pumped by the intense H Ly radiation (1215 Å) formed in the ionized HII region of a gas condensation (blob B) in the close vicinity of the central star in Carinae

The spectrum of Fe II

The spectrum of singly-ionized iron (Fe II) has been recorded using high-resolution Fourier transform and grating spectroscopy over the wavelength range 900 {\AA} to 5.5 {\mu}m. The spectra were observed in high-current continuous and pulsed hollow cathode discharges using Fourier transform (FT) spectrometers at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, AZ and Imperial College, London and with the 10.7 m Normal Incidence Spectrograph at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Roughly 12 900 lines were classified using 1027 energy levels of Fe II that were optimized to measured wavenumbers. The wavenumber uncertainties of lines in the FT spectra range from 10-4 cm-1 for strong lines around 4 {\mu}m to 0.05 cm-1 for weaker lines around 1500 {\AA}. The wavelength uncertainty of lines in the grating spectra is 0.005 {\AA}. The ionization energy of (130 655.4+-0.4) cm-1 was estimated from the 3d6(5D)5g and 3d6(5D)6h levels.Comment: 399 pages, 1 figure, 4 tables. Two large tables at end will appear online only in full journal article. Article accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Supplement Serie

Anomalous Fe II Spectral Effects and High H I Lyα Temperature in Gas Blobs Near η Carinae

We consider the origin of the anomalously high intensity of theultraviolet Fe II lambda 2507/2509 A lines observed with high spatialand spectral resolutions from gas blobs (GBs) near Carinae. This rareeffect in stellar spectra is attributable to a combination of severalfactors: (1) the high hydrogen density (>10^{8} cm^{-3}) that ensuresthe blocking of the Lyman continuum by GBs and, accordingly, theformation of a cold H I region with completely ionized Fe atoms; (2) thesmall distance between the GBs and the central star that ensures a high(>8000-10 000 K) Ly_alpha H spectral temperature, which photoexcitesFe II selectively; and (3) the population of Fe II levels and,accordingly, the opening of a stimulated emission channel, whichtogether with spontaneous transitions creates a radiative cycle where asingle Fe II ion can multiply absorb Ly_alpha emission

Successsive resonance-enhanced two-photon ionization of elements abundant in nebulae. I. Atoms and ions of C, N, and O

We discuss resonance-enhanced two-photon ionization (RETPI) and presentschemes of successive RETPI of the elements C, N, and O in nebulae.RETPI is activated by intrinsic radiation stored in the form of trappedspectral lines of HI, HeI, and HeII in the optically thick nebula. Therate of this two-step photoionization is comparable with or exceeds thelow recombination rate of the photoions formed in the process. Thisleads to an accumulation of photoions and subsequent RETPI until suchhighly charged ions are formed that they cannot further be ionized inthis way by the intrinsic radiation from the strong spectral lines ofHI, HeI, and HeII. Erratum: http://lu-research.lub.lu.se/php/gateway.php?who=lr&method=getfile&file=archive/00017447

Modeling the wind structure of AG Peg by fitting of C IV and N V resonance doublets

The latest outburst of AG Peg has lasted for 150 years, which makes itthe slowest nova eruption ever recorded. During the time of IUEobservations (1978-1995) line profiles and intensity ratios of the N Vand C IV doublet components changed remarkably, and we discuss plausiblereasons. One of them is radiative pumping of Fe II which is investigatedby studying the fluorescence lines from pumped levels. Three Fe IIchannels are pumped by C IV and one by N V. The pumping rates of thoseFe II channels as derived by the modeling agree well with the strengthsof the Fe II fluorescence lines seen in the spectra. We model the C IVand N V resonance doublets in IUE spectra recorded between 1978 and 1995in order to derive optical depths, expansion velocities, and theemissivities of the red giant wind, the white dwarf wind and theircollision region. The derived expansion velocities are ∼60 kms-1 for the red giant wind and ∼700 km s-1 forthe white dwarf wind. We also suggest a fast outflow from the system at∼150 km s-1. The expansion velocity is slightly higherfor N V than for C IV. Emission from the collision region stronglyaffects the profile of the N V and C IV resonance doublets indicatingits existence

New laboratory lifetime measurements of U II for the uranium cosmochronometer

We present new measurements of radiative lifetimes for six energy levelsof singly ionized uranium, U II, using laser-induced fluorescencetechnique. One of the levels,5f36d7p6M13/2 at 26191 cm-1,decays by a transition at 3859.6 Å. This line has recently beenobserved in the spectrum of the metal-poor star CS1082-001, the firstdetection of uranium outside the solar system. The lambda 3859 line canbe used as the presently most accurate cosmochronometer (Cayrel et al.cite{Cayrel}). Our value of the lifetime of the6M13/2 level is 18.6+/-0.7 ns, and it confirms thef-value used in the Nature article by Cayrel et al. (cite{Cayrel}),which is based on an experimental lifetime of 20+/-5 ns (Chen &Borzileri cite{Chen}). The new measurement also removes the doubt aboutthe choice between that value and other f-values in the literature,differing by a factor of 3. Adopting the same branching fraction as Chen& Borzileri (cite{Chen}) for the 3859.6 Å line, we derive agf-value of 0.68, which is 8% higher than the value used by Cayrel etal. (cite{Cayrel}). Of significance for the chronometer is also thereduced uncertainty of the radiative lifetime, 4% compared to 25%, andconsequently of the f-value, which should decrease the uncertainty inthe determination of the stellar age considerably

eta Carinae: linelist for the emission spectrum of the Weigelt blobs in the 1700 to 10 400 angstrom wavelength region

Aims. We present line identifications in the 1700 to 10 400 angstrom region for the Weigelt blobs B and D, located 0.'' 1 to 0 ''.3 NNW of Eta Carinae. The aim of this work is to characterize the behavior of these luminous, dense gas blobs in response to the broad highstate and the short low-state of. Carinae during its 5.54-year spectroscopic period. Methods. The spectra were recorded in a low state (March 1998) and an early high state (February 1999) with the Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST/STIS) from 1640 to 10 400 angstrom using the 52 '' x 0.1 aperture centered on Eta Carinae at position angle, PA = 332 degrees. Extractions of the reduced spectrum including both Weigelt B and D, 0.'' 28 in length along the slit, were used to identify the narrow, nebular emission lines, measure their wavelengths and estimate their fluxes. Results. A linelist of 2500 lines is presented for the high and low states of the combined Weigelt blobs B and D. The spectra are dominated by emission lines from the iron-group elements, but include lines from lighter elements including parity-permitted and forbidden lines. A number of lines are fluorescent lines pumped by H Ly alpha. Other lines show anomalous excitation

Experimental oscillator strengths for forbidden lines in complex spectra

In dilute astrophysical plasmas, such as planetary nebulae and H II regions, strong lines appear that only have weak, if any, correspondence to the spectrum of laboratory light sources. Some of these are parity forbidden lines, i.e. emission from long-lived metastable states that cannot decay via normal electric dipole (E1) routes but only via the slower M1 and E2 transitions. The long lifetime of the upper levels and their sensitivity to collisions make the lines good diagnostics of the emitting plasma, but then the transition probability, or A-value, of these lines must be known. We report on a technique to experimentally determine A-values for forbidden lines using the method of combining the lifetime of the upper level with the branching fractions for the different decay channels. The lifetime is measured using the laser probing technique (LPT) on a stored ion beam. Since these lines are rarely produced in laboratory plasmas, we use astrophysical spectra to determine the branching fractions (BF). The lifetime and the BF then give the A-value, which is one quantity needed for modeling the spectrum of the plasma emitting the forbidden lines. The present measurements are performed within the FERRUM project, an international collaboration producing and evaluating transition probabilities for iron group element lines of astrophysical importance [Johansson, P. I. S. et al., Physica Scripta T100, 71 (2002).