DCL: HBCU: Computational Atomic Laboratory Astrophysics for Stellar and Nebular Spectral Diagnostics

原子光谱-原子独特的能量信号-携带着有关发现原子的天文环境物理条件的重要信息。这项研究项目的主要目标是对太空中恒星和气体云中发现的原子的关键性质进行精确计算。这些性质的精确值将使天文学家能够可靠地分析这些遥远天文天体的原子光谱，并推断那里存在的条件。该项目将培训一名研究生和一名博士后研究人员进行高级计算研究方法的培训，并将增加未被充分代表的少数民族学生参与研究。该研究项目将研究“铁峰”元素，以更好地利用它们作为晚型恒星和气体星云大气的诊断探针。研究人员将使用创新的计算方法和数值代码计算单电荷离子Fe II、Cr II、Ti II和Sc II的精确光致电离截面、辐射和碰撞速率以及电子激发速率。研究中产生的准确数据将使恒星和星云区域的可靠光谱分析成为可能，因为原子数据中的不确定性被认为是铁峰元素单个变化离子丰度的测量和计算之间存在差异的主要来源。新数据将被纳入广泛使用的建模代码CLOUDY，并将通过基安蒂红酒等原子数据库提供给天文学社区。该项目将在计算实验室天体物理技术方面培训一名研究生和一名博士后研究员，并将提供机会培训未被充分代表的少数民族学生进行高级计算研究。

Atomic spectra---the unique energy signatures of atoms---carry important information about the physical conditions of the astronomical environments in which the atoms are found. The main goal of this research project is to perform accurate calculations of key properties of atoms that are found in stars and gas clouds in space. Accurate values of these properties will allow astronomers to reliably analyze atomic spectra from these distant astronomical objects and infer the conditions present there. The project will train a graduate student and a postdoctoral researcher in methods of advanced computational research, and it will increase the participation of underrepresented minority students in research.This research project will study "iron-peak" elements to better exploit them as diagnostic probes of the atmospheres of late-type stars and gaseous nebulae. The researchers will calculate accurate photoionization cross-sections, radiative and collisional rates, and electron excitation rates for the singly charged ions Fe II, Cr II, Ti II, and Sc II using innovative computational methods and numerical codes. Accurate data generated in the study will allow reliable spectral analysis of stellar and nebular regions because uncertainties in atomic data are thought to be a major source of discrepancy between the measured and calculated abundances of singly changed ions of the iron-peak elements. The new data will be incorporated into the widely used modeling code CLOUDY, and they will be made available to the astronomical community via atomic databases such as CHIANTI. The project will train a graduate student and a postdoctoral researcher in computational laboratory astrophysics techniques, and it will provide opportunities to train underrepresented minority students in advanced computational research.