Collaborative Research: A joint theoretical and experimental approach to low-temperature dielectronic recombination data for photoionized astrophysical environments

合作研究：光电离天体物理环境低温双电子复合数据的联合理论和实验方法

• 批准号: 2108648
• 负责人: Nicholas Sterling
• 金额: $ 8.01万
• 依托单位: University of West Georgia
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2108648&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; joint; theoretical; experimental

This research project is a collaborative effort between researchers from three universities to undertake a combined theoretical and experimental study of dielectronic recombination (DR) – a key process controlling the charge balance in astrophysical plasmas ionized by starlight. The researchers will calculate the rates of DR for astronomically important atomic ions and measure them in the laboratory to high accuracy for the low temperatures relevant to space. Accurate DR rates are only available for a handful of elements, so the data generated in this study will allow astronomers to accurately determine the elemental abundances and ionization balance in astronomical environments. The investigators will train students in methods of advanced theoretical and experimental atomic physics research relevant to astrophysics and contribute to science outreach activities for K-12 students.The researchers will use large-scale multi-configuration semi-relativistic and fully relativistic electronic structure calculations to determine high quality DR rate coefficients, compare them to available semi-relativistic calculations, and benchmark them to accurate experimental measurements performed in cryogenic ion storage rings. The project will systematically calculate and benchmark DR data for isoelectronic sequences with the goal of providing accurate data to atomic databases and astrophysical modeling codes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该研究项目是来自三所大学的研究人员之间的合作努力，对双电子复合（DR）进行综合理论和实验研究-这是控制星光电离的天体物理等离子体中电荷平衡的关键过程。 研究人员将计算天文学上重要的原子离子的DR率，并在实验室中对与太空相关的低温进行高精度测量。 准确的DR率仅适用于少数元素，因此本研究中生成的数据将使天文学家能够准确确定天文环境中的元素丰度和电离平衡。 研究人员将对学生进行与天体物理学相关的高级理论和实验原子物理学研究方法的培训，并为K-12学生的科学推广活动做出贡献。研究人员将使用大规模多组态半相对论和完全相对论电子结构计算来确定高质量的DR速率系数，将其与可用的半相对论计算进行比较，并将它们与在低温离子储存环中进行的精确实验测量进行基准测试。 该项目将系统地计算和基准DR数据的等电子序列的目标是提供准确的数据，原子数据库和天体物理建模codes.This奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得的支持，通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。