From Stars to Active Galactic Nuclei. Phototionization, Photoexcitation, Opacities, and Spectra of Low Ionization Fe-peak Species.

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo MI

Investigators

Abstract

Reliable quantitative modeling of opacities and spectra of neutral and singly ionized Fe-like species (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) is of paramount importance for 21st century astrophysics owing to various fundamental research areas that depend on these models. The PI will extend his recent work on metastable levels to treat photoexcitation and photoabsorption processes that occur in a variety of astronomical sources. He will concentrate on two related problems: (1) photoexcitation of Fe II and other singly ionized species in emission spectra of AGN, and (2) photoabsorption and non-LTE opacities of neutral and singly ionized species in atmospheres of late-type stars. The PI and his collaborators will make all atomic data and models widely available through numerous databases and codes, and through a new data server and spectral analysis tool. They will also create a hybrid course on Atomic Physics for Astrophysics to offer to graduate students across the US and abroad. The course will be made freely available online in the form of videos of lectures, simulations, and written materials.