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Title: EMPIRICAL DETERMINATION OF EINSTEIN A-COEFFICIENT RATIOS OF BRIGHT [Fe II] LINES

Abstract

The Einstein spontaneous rates (A-coefficients) of Fe{sup +} lines have been computed by several authors with results that differ from each other by up to 40%. Consequently, models for line emissivities suffer from uncertainties that in turn affect the determination of the physical conditions at the base of line excitation. We provide an empirical determination of the A-coefficient ratios of bright [Fe II] lines that would represent both a valid benchmark for theoretical computations and a reference for the physical interpretation of the observed lines. With the ESO-Very Large Telescope X-shooter instrument between 3000 Å and 24700 Å, we obtained a spectrum of the bright Herbig-Haro object HH 1. We detect around 100 [Fe II] lines, some of which with a signal-to-noise ratios ≥100. Among these latter lines, we selected those emitted by the same level, whose dereddened intensity ratios are direct functions of the Einstein A-coefficient ratios. From the same X-shooter spectrum, we got an accurate estimate of the extinction toward HH 1 through intensity ratios of atomic species, H I  recombination lines and H{sub 2} ro-vibrational transitions. We provide seven reliable A-coefficient ratios between bright [Fe II] lines, which are compared with the literature determinations. In particular, the A-coefficient ratiosmore » involving the brightest near-infrared lines (λ12570/λ16440 and λ13209/λ16440) are in better agreement with the predictions by the Quinet et al. relativistic Hartree-Fock model. However, none of the theoretical models predict A-coefficient ratios in agreement with all of our determinations. We also show that literature data of near-infrared intensity ratios better agree with our determinations than with theoretical expectations.« less

Authors:
; ; ;  [1];  [2]; ;  [3];
  1. INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via Frascati 33, I-00040 Monte Porzio Catone (Italy)
  2. INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, I-80131 Napoli (Italy)
  3. INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze (Italy)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22364718
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 798; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; BENCHMARKS; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; EMISSIVITY; EXCITATION; HARTREE-FOCK METHOD; HERBIG-HARO OBJECTS; HYDROGEN; IRON IONS; RECOMBINATION; RELATIVISTIC RANGE; SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO; STAR MODELS; TELESCOPES

Citation Formats

Giannini, T., Antoniucci, S., Nisini, B., Lorenzetti, D., Alcalá, J. M., Bacciotti, F., Podio, L., Bonito, R., and Stelzer, B., E-mail: teresa.giannini@oa-roma.inaf.it. EMPIRICAL DETERMINATION OF EINSTEIN A-COEFFICIENT RATIOS OF BRIGHT [Fe II] LINES. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/798/1/33.
Giannini, T., Antoniucci, S., Nisini, B., Lorenzetti, D., Alcalá, J. M., Bacciotti, F., Podio, L., Bonito, R., & Stelzer, B., E-mail: teresa.giannini@oa-roma.inaf.it. EMPIRICAL DETERMINATION OF EINSTEIN A-COEFFICIENT RATIOS OF BRIGHT [Fe II] LINES. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/798/1/33
Giannini, T., Antoniucci, S., Nisini, B., Lorenzetti, D., Alcalá, J. M., Bacciotti, F., Podio, L., Bonito, R., and Stelzer, B., E-mail: teresa.giannini@oa-roma.inaf.it. 2015. "EMPIRICAL DETERMINATION OF EINSTEIN A-COEFFICIENT RATIOS OF BRIGHT [Fe II] LINES". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/798/1/33.
@article{osti_22364718,
title = {EMPIRICAL DETERMINATION OF EINSTEIN A-COEFFICIENT RATIOS OF BRIGHT [Fe II] LINES},
author = {Giannini, T. and Antoniucci, S. and Nisini, B. and Lorenzetti, D. and Alcalá, J. M. and Bacciotti, F. and Podio, L. and Bonito, R. and Stelzer, B., E-mail: teresa.giannini@oa-roma.inaf.it},
abstractNote = {The Einstein spontaneous rates (A-coefficients) of Fe{sup +} lines have been computed by several authors with results that differ from each other by up to 40%. Consequently, models for line emissivities suffer from uncertainties that in turn affect the determination of the physical conditions at the base of line excitation. We provide an empirical determination of the A-coefficient ratios of bright [Fe II] lines that would represent both a valid benchmark for theoretical computations and a reference for the physical interpretation of the observed lines. With the ESO-Very Large Telescope X-shooter instrument between 3000 Å and 24700 Å, we obtained a spectrum of the bright Herbig-Haro object HH 1. We detect around 100 [Fe II] lines, some of which with a signal-to-noise ratios ≥100. Among these latter lines, we selected those emitted by the same level, whose dereddened intensity ratios are direct functions of the Einstein A-coefficient ratios. From the same X-shooter spectrum, we got an accurate estimate of the extinction toward HH 1 through intensity ratios of atomic species, H I  recombination lines and H{sub 2} ro-vibrational transitions. We provide seven reliable A-coefficient ratios between bright [Fe II] lines, which are compared with the literature determinations. In particular, the A-coefficient ratios involving the brightest near-infrared lines (λ12570/λ16440 and λ13209/λ16440) are in better agreement with the predictions by the Quinet et al. relativistic Hartree-Fock model. However, none of the theoretical models predict A-coefficient ratios in agreement with all of our determinations. We also show that literature data of near-infrared intensity ratios better agree with our determinations than with theoretical expectations.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/798/1/33},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22364718}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 1,
volume = 798,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}