Testing atomic collision theory with the two-photon continuum of astrophysical nebulae

Guzmán, F. and Badnell, N. R. and Chatzikos, M. and van Hoof, P. A. M. and Williams, R. J. R. and Ferland, G. J. (2017) Testing atomic collision theory with the two-photon continuum of astrophysical nebulae. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. ISSN 0035-8711 (https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx269)

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Abstract

Accurate rates for energy-degenerate l-changing collisions are needed to determine cosmological abundances and recombination. There are now several competing theories for the treatment of this process, and it is not possible to test these experimentally. We show that the H i two-photon continuum produced by astrophysical nebulae is strongly affected by l-changing collisions. We perform an analysis of the different underlying atomic processes and simulate the recombination and two-photon spectrum of a nebula containing H and He. We provide an extended set of effective recombination coefficients and updated l-changing 2s − 2p transition rates using several competing theories. In principle, accurate astronomical observations could determine which theory is correct.

  • Item type:Article
    ID code:59884
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    1 February 2017
    Published
    1 February 2017
    Published Online
    27 January 2017
    Accepted
    Notes:This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society following peer review. The version of record F. Guzmán, N. R. Badnell, M. Chatzikos, P. A. M. van Hoof, R.J.R. Williams, G.J. Ferland.; Testing atomic collision theory with the two-photon continuum of astrophysical nebulae. Mon Not R Astron Soc 2017 stx269. doi: 10.1093/mnras/stx269 is available online at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx269
    Subjects:Science > Astronomy
    Department:Faculty of Science > Physics
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:20 Feb 2017 15:00
    Last modified:11 Apr 2024 01:16
    Related URLs:
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/59884
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