RII Track-4:NSF:Measurement of charge exchange X-ray spectra using the NIST EBIT and TES microcalorimeter array

现代天文学的一个关键目标是了解宇宙是如何运作的以及它是如何进化的，最终使地球上的生命成为可能。观察恒星在其生命的不同阶段发出的x射线，以及它们在超新星爆炸中剧烈死亡的残留物，是研究起作用的物理过程的有力工具。然而，对这些观测结果的解释在很大程度上依赖于我们对原子物理学的了解。考虑到未来天文台的预期能力，目前缺乏实验数据将成为一个限制因素。该奖学金项目的目标是收集在相关天体物理环境中常见的氖离子与氢气和氦气相互作用的实验数据。这些数据将提高我们对高电荷离子的基本原子物理学的理解，并提高我们利用未来大型太空天文台收集的数据的能力。该奖学金项目还将培训PI和新罕布什尔大学（UNH）的一名研究生，学习与国家重要科学领域相关的技术，如量子传感、量子计算和低温物理。这将使他们能够传递这些知识，并在这些领域培训联合国大学的研究生和本科生。电荷交换是一种高电荷离子从中性原子中捕获电子的过程，在许多天体物理等离子体中起着重要作用。这是一个复合过程，导致发射线强度与碰撞激发不同，可以作为电离平衡和等离子体组成的重要诊断。正确解释天体物理数据需要详细和准确的电荷交换截面知识，并且通常依赖于合成光谱的理论建模。在两次访问国家标准与技术研究所（NIST）博尔德实验室期间，PI和一名研究生将进行一系列测量，以测试高电离氖Ne(8,9,10)+与中性气体的能级分辨电荷交换横截面模型。这些基准将提高模型的保真度和我们解释天体物理x射线数据的能力。测量活动将利用高分辨率光谱的x射线跃迁边缘传感器微热量计和微型电子束离子阱来产生和捕获离子。该奖学金项目旨在成为PI和NIST小组之间更广泛合作的起点。它将扩展PI目前在高能天体物理学方面的工作，使他能够参与未来的高电荷离子测量活动以及与天体物理学相关的数据分析。在此奖学金期间获得的专业知识还将使PI能够使用新罕布什尔大学（UNH）现有的设备进行其他x射线测量，并培训新罕布什尔大学的学生在与国家重要科学领域相关的技术，如量子传感、量子计算和低温物理。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

A key goal of modern astronomy is to understand how the Universe works and how it evolved, eventually making life on Earth possible. Observations of X-rays emitted by stars at various stages of their life, and from the remnants of their violent deaths in supernova explosions, are a powerful tool to study the physical processes at work. The interpretation, however, of these observations relies heavily on our knowledge of the atomic physics at play. Given the expected capabilities of future observatories, the current lack of experimental data will become a limiting factor. The goal of this fellowship project is to gather experimental data about interactions of neon ions with hydrogen and helium gas commonly found in relevant astrophysical environments. These data will both improve our understanding of basic atomic physics of highly charged ions and our ability to make use of the data collected by future large space observatories. The fellowship program will also train the PI and a graduate student from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in techniques relevant to scientific areas of national importance such as quantum sensing, quantum computing, and low-temperature physics. This will enable them to pass this knowledge on and to train graduate and undergraduate students at UNH in these fields.Charge exchange, a process in which a highly charged ion captures an electron from a neutral atom, plays a significant role in many astrophysical plasmas. It is a recombination process that results in emission line intensities that differ from collisional excitation, and can serve as an important diagnostic of the ionization balance and composition of a plasma. Correct interpretation of astrophysical data requires detailed and accurate knowledge of charge exchange cross sections, and typically relies on theoretical modeling of synthetic spectra. During two fellowship visits to the National Institute for Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Boulder Laboratories, the PI and a graduate student will carry out a sequence of measurements to test models of energy-level resolved charge exchange cross sections of highly ionized neon Ne(8,9,10)+ with neutral gasses. These benchmarks will improve the fidelity of models and our ability to interpret astrophysical X-ray data. The measurement campaign will utilize X-ray transition edge sensor microcalorimeters for high-resolution spectroscopy and a miniature Electron Beam Ion Trap to create and trap the ions. The fellowship project is intended to be the starting point of a broader collaboration between the PI and groups at NIST. It will expand beyond the PI’s current work in high-energy astrophysics enable him to participate in future measurement campaigns with highly charged ions and in the analysis of data relevant to astrophysics. Expertise gained during this fellowship will also enable the PI to carry out other X-ray measurements using equipment already available at the University of New Hampshire (UNH), and to train students at UNH in techniques relevant to scientific areas of national importance such as quantum sensing, quantum computing, and low-temperature physics.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.