ISMabs: A COMPREHENSIVE X-RAY ABSORPTION MODEL FOR THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

Journal Article · Tue Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/800/1/29· OSTI ID:22364246

Gatuzz, E.; Mendoza, C. ^[1]; García, J. ^[2]; Kallman, T. R. ^[3]

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1. Centro de Física, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC), P.O. Box 20632, Caracas 1020A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of)
2. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, 02138 (United States)
3. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

We present an X-ray absorption model for the interstellar medium, to be referred to as ISMabs, that takes into account both neutral and ionized species of cosmically abundant elements, and includes the most accurate atomic data available. Using high-resolution spectra from eight X-ray binaries obtained with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer, we proceed to benchmark the atomic data in the model particularly in the neon K-edge region. Compared with previous photoabsorption models, which solely rely on neutral species, the inclusion of ions leads to improved spectral fits. Fit parameters comprise the column densities of abundant contributors that allow direct estimates of the ionization states. ISMabs is provided in the appropriate format to be implemented in widely used X-ray spectral fitting packages such as XSPEC, ISIS, and SHERPA.

• OSTI ID: 22364246
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 800, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
ASTROPHYSICS
ATOMS
BENCHMARKS
BINARY STARS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DENSITY
ELEMENT ABUNDANCE
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
LINEAR ABSORPTION MODELS
NEON
POWER TRANSMISSION
RESOLUTION
X RADIATION