Numerical simulations of non-equilibrium plasmas and their spectra - extensions to the molecular environs of AGN & Starburst Galaxies

University Of Kentucky Research Foundation, Lexington KY

Investigators

Abstract

AST-0908877 Gary Ferland This award will support the continued development of the spectral synthesis code "Cloudy." Cloudy is a widely used astrophysical modeling program used to simulate the microphysics of a non-equilibrium gas, determine its microscopic properties, and predict the resulting spectrum. It is used to understand spectra from astronomical objects over the whole range from star forming clouds to the cores of active galaxies, with over a hundred scientific papers per year acknowledging its use. Dr. Ferland has recently expanded the program to include states from fully molecular to fully ionized with comprehensive treatments of H2, H I, He I, other ions, and dust emission. During this award, additional improvements will be implemented, including a database driven framework for atomic and molecular physics which will expand the number of species that can be modeled in the spectra, various infrastructure changes to permit parallel processing and new radiative transfer methods. The code infrastructure changes are also the first steps in a longer-term effort to allow 3D simulations. All of these improvements will greatly enhance the capabilities of this important software tool. Dr. Ferland continues to involve junior researchers throughout this project, and this award helps to support a postdoctoral scholar, training in modeling plasmas and radiative transfer. Talented scientists with such skills are critical to interpreting the increasingly detailed astronomical data coming from current and future ground- and space-based observatories.