Atoms

7 pages, 2153 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatially-Resolved Electron Density Measurement in Hydrogen Pellet Ablation Cloud

by Guillaume Seguineaud, Gen Motojima, Yoshiro Narushima and Motoshi Goto

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020034 - 11 Jun 2018

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3362

A spectroscopic method for spatial resolution measurement in fuel pellet ablation clouds is being developed in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Spatial resolution is obtained thanks to optics that have a narrow, band-shaped field-of-view. The Stark-broadened

H_{β}

emission line of a deuterium [...] Read more.

A spectroscopic method for spatial resolution measurement in fuel pellet ablation clouds is being developed in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Spatial resolution is obtained thanks to optics that have a narrow, band-shaped field-of-view. The Stark-broadened

H_{β}

emission line of a deuterium pellet ablation cloud is isolated and analyzed with a spectral lineshape code. The electron density profile of the ablation cloud along its direction of elongation is derived through least squares fitting. The obtained profile is peaked and has a dip at its center which confirms what can be found in simulations. Moreover, the order of magnitudes for the derived electron densities are in agreement with what has already been found in the LHD. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Spectroscopy and Collisions)

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28 pages, 1542 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Beyond the Linear Stark Effect: A Retrospective

by Alexander V. Demura

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020033 - 6 Jun 2018

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4105

Abstract

A review of studies of the electric-field influence on spectral lines is presented, beginning from the discovery of the Stark effect, and in particular focused on phenomena related to the effects of the plasma microfield non-uniformity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas II)

8 pages, 565 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

New Los Alamos Opacity Calculations

by J. Colgan, D. P. Kilcrease, N. H. Magee, M. E. Sherrill, C. J. Fontes and P. Hakel

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020032 - 4 Jun 2018

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3545

Abstract

In 2015 Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) released a new set of OPLIB opacity tables for the elements hydrogen through zinc. The new LANL opacities are publicly available via our website and are already in use by the astrophysics community. In this contribution, [...] Read more.

In 2015 Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) released a new set of OPLIB opacity tables for the elements hydrogen through zinc. The new LANL opacities are publicly available via our website and are already in use by the astrophysics community. In this contribution, we discuss the extension of our opacity calculations to elements beyond zinc. Such calculations are motivated by potential industrial applications (for elements such as Sn) as well as available experimental data with which to compare our calculations (for Ge and Br). After a short outline of our method for computing opacities for these elements, we make comparisons to available experimental data and find good agreement. Future plans are briefly discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atomic and Molecular Opacity Data for Astrophysics)

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13 pages, 3413 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Opacity Effects on Pulsations of Main-Sequence A-Type Stars

by Joyce A. Guzik, Christopher J. Fontes and Chris Fryer

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020031 - 4 Jun 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3494

Abstract

Opacity enhancements for stellar interior conditions have been explored to explain observed pulsation frequencies and to extend the pulsation instability region for B-type main-sequence variable stars. For these stars, the pulsations are driven in the region of the opacity bump of Fe-group elements [...] Read more.

Opacity enhancements for stellar interior conditions have been explored to explain observed pulsation frequencies and to extend the pulsation instability region for B-type main-sequence variable stars. For these stars, the pulsations are driven in the region of the opacity bump of Fe-group elements at ∼200,000 K in the stellar envelope. Here we explore effects of opacity enhancements for the somewhat cooler main-sequence A-type stars, in which p-mode pulsations are driven instead in the second helium ionization region at ∼50,000 K. We compare models using the new LANL OPLIB vs. LLNL OPAL opacities for the AGSS09 solar mixture. For models of two solar masses and effective temperature 7600 K, opacity enhancements have only a mild effect on pulsations, shifting mode frequencies and/or slightly changing kinetic-energy growth rates. Increased opacity near the bump at 200,000 K can induce convection that may alter composition gradients created by diffusive settling and radiative levitation. Opacity increases around the hydrogen and 1st He ionization region (∼13,000 K) can cause additional higher-frequency p modes to be excited, raising the possibility that improved treatment of these layers may result in prediction of new modes that could be tested by observations. New or wider convective zones and higher convective velocities produced by opacity increases could also affect angular momentum transport during evolution. More work needs to be done to quantify the effects of opacity on the boundaries of the pulsation instability regions for A-type stars. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atomic and Molecular Opacity Data for Astrophysics)

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14 pages, 439 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Third and Fourth Workshops on Spectral Line Shapes in Plasma Code Comparison: Isolated Lines

by Sylvie Sahal-Bréchot, Evgeny Stambulchik, Milan S. Dimitrijević, Spiros Alexiou, Bin Duan and Véronique Bommier

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020030 - 31 May 2018

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3116

Abstract

The purpose of the Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas (SLSP) code comparison workshop is to compare different computational and analytical methods, in order to pinpoint sources of disagreements, infer limits of applicability, and assess accuracy. The present paper reviews a part of the [...] Read more.

The purpose of the Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas (SLSP) code comparison workshop is to compare different computational and analytical methods, in order to pinpoint sources of disagreements, infer limits of applicability, and assess accuracy. The present paper reviews a part of the results of the third (2015) and fourth (2017) workshops related to isolated lines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas II)

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14 pages, 34974 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

H-β Line in a Corona Helium Plasma: A Multi-Code Line Shape Comparison

by Roshin Raj Sheeba, Mohammed Koubiti, Nelly Bonifaci, Franck Gilleron, Caroline Mossé, Jean-Christophe Pain, Joël Rosato and Evgeny Stambulchik

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 29; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020029 - 23 May 2018

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3804

Abstract

Many spectroscopic diagnostics are routinely used as techniques to infer the plasma parameters from line emission spectra, but their accuracy depends on the numerical model or code used for the fitting process. However, the validation of a line shape code requires some steps: [...] Read more.

Many spectroscopic diagnostics are routinely used as techniques to infer the plasma parameters from line emission spectra, but their accuracy depends on the numerical model or code used for the fitting process. However, the validation of a line shape code requires some steps: the comparison of the line shape code with other similar codes for some academic (simple) cases and then for more complex ones, the comparison of the fitting parameters obtained from the best fit of the experimental spectra with those obtained with other diagnostic techniques, and/or the comparison of the fitting parameters obtained by different codes to fit the same experimental data. Here we compare the profiles of the hydrogen Balmer β line in helium plasma computed by five codes for a selected set of plasma parameters and we report on the plasma parameters inferred by each of them from the fitting to a number of experimental spectra measured in a helium corona discharge where the pressure was in the range of 1–5 bars. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas II)

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21 pages, 963 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Computation of Atomic Astrophysical Opacities

by Claudio Mendoza

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020028 - 18 May 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3695

Abstract

The revision of the standard Los Alamos opacities in the 1980–1990s by a group from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (OPAL) and the Opacity Project (OP) consortium was an early example of collaborative big-data science, leading to reliable data deliverables (atomic databases, monochromatic [...] Read more.

The revision of the standard Los Alamos opacities in the 1980–1990s by a group from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (OPAL) and the Opacity Project (OP) consortium was an early example of collaborative big-data science, leading to reliable data deliverables (atomic databases, monochromatic opacities, mean opacities, and radiative accelerations) widely used since then to solve a variety of important astrophysical problems. Nowadays the precision of the OPAL and OP opacities, and even of new tables (OPLIB) by Los Alamos, is a recurrent topic in a hot debate involving stringent comparisons between theory, laboratory experiments, and solar and stellar observations in sophisticated research fields: the standard solar model (SSM), helio and asteroseismology, non-LTE 3D hydrodynamic photospheric modeling, nuclear reaction rates, solar neutrino observations, computational atomic physics, and plasma experiments. In this context, an unexpected downward revision of the solar photospheric metal abundances in 2005 spoiled a very precise agreement between the helioseismic indicators (the radius of the convection zone boundary, the sound-speed profile, and helium surface abundance) and SSM benchmarks, which could be somehow reestablished with a substantial opacity increase. Recent laboratory measurements of the iron opacity in physical conditions similar to the boundary of the solar convection zone have indeed predicted significant increases (30–400%), although new systematic improvements and comparisons of the computed tables have not yet been able to reproduce them. We give an overview of this controversy, and within the OP approach, discuss some of the theoretical shortcomings that could be impairing a more complete and accurate opacity accounting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atomic and Molecular Opacity Data for Astrophysics)

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19 pages, 1365 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hybrid Theory of Scattering and Its Applications

by Anand K. Bhatia

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020027 - 14 May 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3022

Abstract

A number of formulations have been used to investigate scattering of low-energy electrons and positrons from various targets. The hybrid theory of scattering, which takes into account the short-range as well as the long-range correlations, and is variationally correct, is described in this [...] Read more.

A number of formulations have been used to investigate scattering of low-energy electrons and positrons from various targets. The hybrid theory of scattering, which takes into account the short-range as well as the long-range correlations, and is variationally correct, is described in this article. This approach has been applied to calculate phase shifts for scattering of electrons and positrons, resonances in two-electron systems, photodetachment, and photoionization of two-electron systems. This approach has also been applied to calculate excitation of 2s state of atomic hydrogen by electron impact. In photoabsorption the target can be left in 2p state instead of 1s state, resulting in the emission of Lyman-alpha radiation. Cross sections for this process are also calculated. Full article

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29 pages, 5828 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The ExoMol Atlas of Molecular Opacities

by Jonathan Tennyson and Sergei N. Yurchenko

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020026 - 10 May 2018

Cited by 60 | Viewed by 7396

Abstract

The ExoMol project is dedicated to providing molecular line lists for exoplanet and other hot atmospheres. The ExoMol procedure uses a mixture of ab initio calculations and available laboratory data. The actual line lists are generated using variational nuclear motion calculations. These line [...] Read more.

The ExoMol project is dedicated to providing molecular line lists for exoplanet and other hot atmospheres. The ExoMol procedure uses a mixture of ab initio calculations and available laboratory data. The actual line lists are generated using variational nuclear motion calculations. These line lists form the input for opacity models for cool stars and brown dwarfs as well as for radiative transport models involving exoplanets. This paper is a collection of molecular opacities for 52 molecules (130 isotopologues) at two reference temperatures, 300 K and 2000 K, using line lists from the ExoMol database. So far, ExoMol line lists have been generated for about 30 key molecular species. Other line lists are taken from external sources or from our work predating the ExoMol project. An overview of the line lists generated by ExoMol thus far is presented and used to evaluate further molecular data needs. Other line lists are also considered. The requirement for completeness within a line list is emphasized and needs for further line lists discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atomic and Molecular Opacity Data for Astrophysics)

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22 pages, 317 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Energy Levels and Radiative Rates for Transitions in F-like Sc XIII and Ne-like Sc XII and Y XXX

by Kanti M. Aggarwal

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020025 - 3 May 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3095

Abstract

Energy levels, radiative rates and lifetimes are reported for F-like Sc XIII and Ne-like Sc XII and Y XXX for which the general-purpose relativistic atomic structure package (GRASP) has been adopted. For all three ions, limited data exist in the literature but comparisons [...] Read more.

Energy levels, radiative rates and lifetimes are reported for F-like Sc XIII and Ne-like Sc XII and Y XXX for which the general-purpose relativistic atomic structure package (GRASP) has been adopted. For all three ions, limited data exist in the literature but comparisons have been made wherever possible to assess the accuracy of the calculations. In the present work, the lowest 102, 125 and 139 levels have been considered for the respective ions. Additionally, calculations have also been performed with the flexible atomic code (FAC) to (particularly) confirm the accuracy of energy levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Atomic Data for Ions of Rare Earth Elements)

11 pages, 432 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Systematic Observation of EUV Spectra from Highly Charged Lanthanide Ions in the Large Helical Device

by Chihiro Suzuki, Fumihiro Koike, Izumi Murakami, Naoki Tamura and Shigeru Sudo

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020024 - 1 May 2018

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3549

Abstract

We have systematically observed extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectra from highly charged ions of nine lanthanide elements with atomic numbers from 60–70 in optically thin plasmas produced in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Discrete spectral features with isolated lines from relatively higher charge states [...] Read more.

We have systematically observed extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectra from highly charged ions of nine lanthanide elements with atomic numbers from 60–70 in optically thin plasmas produced in the Large Helical Device (LHD). Discrete spectral features with isolated lines from relatively higher charge states around Cu-like ions are observed under high temperature conditions around 2 keV, while narrowed quasicontinuum features from charge states around Ag-like ions are observed under low temperature conditions below 1 keV. The positions of the lines and the quasicontinuum features systematically move to shorter wavelengths as the atomic number increases. The wavelengths of the main peaks in the quasicontinuum features agree well with those of singlet transitions of Pd-like ions reported previously. We have easily identified discrete spectral lines from Cu-like and Ag-like ions, some of which are experimentally identified for the first time in the LHD. Their wavelengths are compared with theoretical calculations using a GRASP family of atomic codes. The theoretical values are synthesized to the LHD experimental data for the cases of Ag- and Pd-like ions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Developments and Applications of Atomic Structure and Radiative Process Investigations)

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12 pages, 1554 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Revisiting the Stark Width and Shift of He II Pα

by Christine Stollberg, Evgeny Stambulchik, Bin Duan, Marco A. Gigosos, Diego González Herrero, Carlos A. Iglesias and Caroline Mossé

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020023 - 24 Apr 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3539

Abstract

We report experimental determination of plasma-induced Stark widths and shifts of the He II P

α

line and a comparison of the results with calculations performed by several computational approaches. The measurements were carried out in a small compressing plasma channel device, reaching [...] Read more.

We report experimental determination of plasma-induced Stark widths and shifts of the He II P

α

line and a comparison of the results with calculations performed by several computational approaches. The measurements were carried out in a small compressing plasma channel device, reaching electron densities in excess of

10^{18} {cm}^{- 3}

and temperatures of a few eV. The experimental data are in a good agreement with some previously published studies. However, the measured relation between the Stark shift and width could not be reproduced by either of the codes, and this disagreement is not yet resolved. This suggests the existence of an additional effect that is not accounted for in the present models and leads to a larger than expected Stark shift of the He II P

α

line. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas II)

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13 pages, 398 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Matrix Methods for Solving Hartree-Fock Equations in Atomic Structure Calculations and Line Broadening

by Thomas Gomez, Taisuke Nagayama, Chris Fontes, Dave Kilcrease, Stephanie Hansen, Mike Montgomery and Don Winget

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020022 - 23 Apr 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4959

Abstract

Atomic structure of N-electron atoms is often determined by solving the Hartree-Fock equations, which are a set of integro-differential equations. The integral part of the Hartree-Fock equations treats electron exchange, but the Hartree-Fock equations are not often treated as an integro-differential equation. The [...] Read more.

Atomic structure of N-electron atoms is often determined by solving the Hartree-Fock equations, which are a set of integro-differential equations. The integral part of the Hartree-Fock equations treats electron exchange, but the Hartree-Fock equations are not often treated as an integro-differential equation. The exchange term is often approximated as an inhomogeneous or an effective potential so that the Hartree-Fock equations become a set of ordinary differential equations (which can be solved using the usual shooting methods). Because the Hartree-Fock equations are an iterative-refinement method, the inhomogeneous term relies on the previous guess of the wavefunction. In addition, there are numerical complications associated with solving inhomogeneous differential equations. This work uses matrix methods to solve the Hartree-Fock equations as an integro-differential equation. It is well known that a derivative operator can be expressed as a matrix made of finite-difference coefficients; energy eigenvalues and eigenvectors can be obtained by using linear-algebra packages. The integral (exchange) part of the Hartree-Fock equation can be approximated as a sum and written as a matrix. The Hartree-Fock equations can be solved as a matrix that is the sum of the differential and integral matrices. We compare calculations using this method against experiment and standard atomic structure calculations. This matrix method can also be used to solve for free-electron wavefunctions, thus improving how the atoms and free electrons interact. This technique is important for spectral line broadening in two ways: it improves the atomic structure calculations, and it improves the motion of the plasma electrons that collide with the atom. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas II)

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9 pages, 308 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Improving the Method of Measuring the Electron Density via the Asymmetry of Hydrogenic Spectral Lines in Plasmas by Allowing for Penetrating Ions

by Paul Sanders and Eugene Oks

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020021 - 18 Apr 2018

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2856

Abstract

There was previously proposed and experimentally implemented a new diagnostic method for measuring the electron density N_e using the asymmetry of hydrogenic spectral lines in dense plasmas. Compared to the traditional method of deducing N_e from the experimental widths of spectral [...] Read more.

There was previously proposed and experimentally implemented a new diagnostic method for measuring the electron density N_e using the asymmetry of hydrogenic spectral lines in dense plasmas. Compared to the traditional method of deducing N_e from the experimental widths of spectral lines, the new method has the following advantages. First, the traditional method requires measuring widths of at least two spectral lines (to isolate the Stark broadening from competing broadening mechanisms), while for the new diagnostic method it is sufficient to obtain the experimental profile of just one spectral line. Second, the traditional method would be difficult to implement if the center of the spectral lines was optically thick, while the new diagnostic method could still be used even in this case. In the theory underlying this new diagnostic method, the contribution of plasma ions to the spectral line asymmetry was calculated only for configurations where the perturbing ions were outside the bound electron cloud of the radiating atom/ion (non-penetrating configurations). In the present paper, we take into account the contribution to the spectral line asymmetry from penetrating configurations, where the perturbing ion is inside the bound electron cloud of the radiating atom/ion. We show that in high-density plasmas, the allowance for penetrating ions can result in significant corrections to the electron density deduced from the spectral line asymmetry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stark Broadening of Spectral Lines in Plasmas)

14 pages, 333 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Quantum and Semiclassical Stark Widths for Ar VII Spectral Lines

by Rihab Aloui, Haykel Elabidi, Sylvie Sahal-Bréchot and Milan S. Dimitrijević

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 20; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020020 - 16 Apr 2018

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3488

Abstract

We present in this paper the results of a theoretical study of electron impact broadening for several lines of the Ar VII ion. The results have been obtained using our quantum mechanical method and the semiclassical perturbation one. Results are presented for electron [...] Read more.

We present in this paper the results of a theoretical study of electron impact broadening for several lines of the Ar VII ion. The results have been obtained using our quantum mechanical method and the semiclassical perturbation one. Results are presented for electron density 10¹⁸ cm⁻³ and for electron temperatures ranging from

2 \times 10^{4}

to

5 \times 10^{5}

K required for plasma modeling. Our results have been compared to other semiclassical ones obtained using different sources of atomic data. A study of the strong collisions contributions to line broadening has been performed. The atomic structure and collision data used for the calculations of line broadening are also calculated by our codes and compared to available theoretical results. The agreement found between the two calculations ensures that our line broadening procedure uses adequate structure and collision data. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spectral Line Shapes in Astrophysics and Related Topics)

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Graphical abstract

11 pages, 36749 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Broadening of the Neutral Helium 492 nm Line in a Corona Discharge: Code Comparisons and Data Fitting

by Roshin Raj Sheeba, Mohammed Koubiti, Nelly Bonifaci, Franck Gilleron, Jean-Christophe Pain and Evgeny Stambulchik

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020019 - 16 Apr 2018

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4390

Abstract

Passive plasma spectroscopy is a well-established non-intrusive diagnostic technique. Depending on the emitter and its environment which determine the dominant interactions and effects governing emission line shapes, passive spectroscopy allows the determination of electron densities, emitter and perturber temperatures, as well as other [...] Read more.

Passive plasma spectroscopy is a well-established non-intrusive diagnostic technique. Depending on the emitter and its environment which determine the dominant interactions and effects governing emission line shapes, passive spectroscopy allows the determination of electron densities, emitter and perturber temperatures, as well as other quantities like relative abundances. However, using spectroscopy requires appropriate line shape codes retaining all the physical effects governing the emission line profiles. This is required for line shape code developers to continuously correct or improve them to increase their accuracy when applied for diagnostics. This is exactly the aim expected from code–code and code–data comparisons. In this context, the He i 492 nm line emitted in a helium corona discharge at room temperature represents an ideal case since its profile results from several broadening mechanisms: Stark, Doppler, resonance, and van der Waals. The importance of each broadening mechanism depends on the plasma parameters. Here the profiles of the He i 492 nm in a helium plasma computed by various codes are compared for a selected set of plasma parameters. In addition, preliminary results related to plasma parameter determination using an experimental spectrum from a helium corona discharge at atmospheric pressure, are presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas II)

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13 pages, 459 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of the p ¯ -p Nuclear Interaction on the Rate of the Low-Energy p ¯ + H μ → ( p ¯ p ) α + μ − Reaction

by Renat A. Sultanov, Dennis Guster and Sadhan K. Adhikari

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020018 - 9 Apr 2018

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 6154

Abstract

The influence of an additional strong

\bar{p}

-p nuclear interaction in a three-charge-particle system with arbitrary masses is investigated. Specifically, the system of

\bar{p}, μ^{-}

, and p is considered in this paper, where

\bar{p}

is an antiproton, [...] Read more.

The influence of an additional strong

\bar{p}

-p nuclear interaction in a three-charge-particle system with arbitrary masses is investigated. Specifically, the system of

\bar{p}, μ^{-}

, and p is considered in this paper, where

\bar{p}

is an antiproton,

μ^{-}

is a muon and p is a proton. A numerical computation in the framework of a detailed few-body approach is carried out for the following protonium (antiprotonic hydrogen) formation three-body reaction:

\bar{p} + H_{μ} (1 s) \to {(\bar{p} p)}_{α} + μ^{-}

. Here,

H_{μ} (1 s)

is a ground state muonic hydrogen, i.e., a bound state of p and

μ^{-}

. A bound state of p and its antimatter counterpart

\bar{p}

is a protonium atom in a quantum atomic state

α

, i.e.,

P n = {(\bar{p} p)}_{α}

. The low-energy cross sections and rates of the

P n

formation reaction are computed in the framework of coupled Faddeev-Hahn-type equations. The strong

\bar{p}

-p interaction is included in these calculations within a first order approximation. It was found, that the inclusion of the nuclear interaction results in a quite significant correction to the rate of the three-body reaction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Spectroscopy and Collisions)

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15 pages, 2726 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Studying Antimatter Gravity with Muonium

by Aldo Antognini, Daniel M. Kaplan, Klaus Kirch, Andreas Knecht, Derrick C. Mancini, James D. Phillips, Thomas J. Phillips, Robert D. Reasenberg, Thomas J. Roberts and Anna Soter

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020017 - 9 Apr 2018

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5742

Abstract

The gravitational acceleration of antimatter,

\bar{g}

, has yet to be directly measured; an unexpected outcome of its measurement could change our understanding of gravity, the universe, and the possibility of a fifth force. Three avenues are apparent for such a measurement: [...] Read more.

The gravitational acceleration of antimatter,

\bar{g}

, has yet to be directly measured; an unexpected outcome of its measurement could change our understanding of gravity, the universe, and the possibility of a fifth force. Three avenues are apparent for such a measurement: antihydrogen, positronium, and muonium, the last requiring a precision atom interferometer and novel muonium beam under development. The interferometer and its few-picometer alignment and calibration systems appear feasible. With 100 nm grating pitch, measurements of

\bar{g}

to 10%, 1%, or better can be envisioned. These could constitute the first gravitational measurements of leptonic matter, of 2nd-generation matter, and possibly, of antimatter. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Measuring Gravity in the Lab)

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7 pages, 1266 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Doppler Broadening of Spectral Line Shapes in Relativistic Plasmas

by Mohammed Tayeb Meftah, Hadda Gossa, Kamel Ahmed Touati, Keltoum Chenini and Amel Naam

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020016 - 4 Apr 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5648

Abstract

In this work, we report some relativistic effects on the spectral line broadening. In particular, we give a new Doppler broadening in extra hot plasmas that takes into account the possible high velocity of the emitters. This suggests the use of an appropriate [...] Read more.

In this work, we report some relativistic effects on the spectral line broadening. In particular, we give a new Doppler broadening in extra hot plasmas that takes into account the possible high velocity of the emitters. This suggests the use of an appropriate distribution of the velocities for the emitters. Indeed, the Juttner-Maxwell distribution of the velocities is more adequate for relativistic velocities of the emitters when the latter are in plasma with an extra high temperature. We find an asymmetry in the Doppler line shapes unlike the case of the traditional Doppler effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spectral Line Shapes in Astrophysics and Related Topics)

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8 pages, 305 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Stark Broadening of Cr III Spectral Lines: DO White Dwarfs

by Milan S. Dimitrijević and Abhishek Chougule

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020015 - 3 Apr 2018

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4418

Abstract

Using the modified semiempirical method of Dimitrijević and Konjević, Stark widths have been calculated for six Cr III transitions, for an electron density of 10

^{17}

cm

^{‒ 3}

and for temperatures from 5000–80,000 K. Results have been used for the investigation of [...] Read more.

Using the modified semiempirical method of Dimitrijević and Konjević, Stark widths have been calculated for six Cr III transitions, for an electron density of 10

^{17}

cm

^{‒ 3}

and for temperatures from 5000–80,000 K. Results have been used for the investigation of the influence of Stark broadening on spectral lines in cool DO white dwarf atmospheres. Calculated Stark widths will be implemented in the STARK-B database, which is also a part of the Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Center (VAMDC). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas II)

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8 pages, 294 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Possibility of Measuring Nuclear Shapes by Using Spectral Lines of Muonic Ions

by Eugene Oks

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020014 - 1 Apr 2018

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3193

Abstract

We analytically calculated the shift of spectral lines of hydrogenlike ions for non-spherical nuclear shapes, such as the oblate or prolate ellipsoid of revolution. We show that the allowance for the ellipsoidal nuclear shape can change the shift of spectral lines of muonic [...] Read more.

We analytically calculated the shift of spectral lines of hydrogenlike ions for non-spherical nuclear shapes, such as the oblate or prolate ellipsoid of revolution. We show that the allowance for the ellipsoidal nuclear shape can change the shift of spectral lines of muonic hydrogenlike ions by several times compared to the corresponding shift for spherical nuclei. This can serve as an additional method for the experimental determination of the quadrupole moment of nuclei and of the standard beta-parameter related to the quadrupole moment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Atomic, Molecular and Nuclear Spectroscopy and Collisions)

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26 pages, 1940 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Fourth Workshop on Lineshape Code Comparison: Line Merging

by Spiros Alexiou, Evgeny Stambulchik, Thomas Gomez and Mohammed Koubiti

Atoms 2018, 6(2), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/atoms6020013 - 31 Mar 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4364

Abstract

For a given set of plasma parameters, along a single series (Lyman, Balmer, etc.) the lines with higher principal quantum number (n) lines get progressively wider, closer to each other, and start merging for a certain critical n. In the [...] Read more.

For a given set of plasma parameters, along a single series (Lyman, Balmer, etc.) the lines with higher principal quantum number (n) lines get progressively wider, closer to each other, and start merging for a certain critical n. In the present work, four different codes (with further options) are used to calculate the entire Balmer series for moderate and high electron densities. Particular attention is paid to the relevant physics, such as the cutoff criteria, strong and penetrating electron collisions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas II)

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Atoms, Volume 6, Issue 2 (June 2018) – 22 articles

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