Relativistic dielectronic recombination theory
Dielectronic recombination (DR) is an inverse Auger process in which a free electron is captured by a recombining ion to form a doubly excited autoionizing state. The subsequent decay of the autoionizing state to a stabilized bound state by emitting photons completes the recombination process. DR is an important recombination process for high temperature plasmas. It can affect the ionization balance and level kinetics of the hot plasmas. In addition, the dielectronic satellite lines observed in the emission spectra are frequently used as plasmas diagnostic tools. In the past decade, intense theoretical and experimental studies on the DR process have been carried out. Most of the earlier theoretical calculations on the DR rate coefficients were done either by using a term average approximation or in LS coupling without including the effects of relativity and configuration interaction. The early experimental investigations were concentrated on few times ionized low-Z ions. Recently, the development of electron beam ion trap (EBIT), electron beam ion source (EBIS) and heavy ion storage ring has become possible to produce very highly-charged heavy ions (e.g. U{sup 82+} and Xe{sup 53+})and to study the interaction between electrons and these ions. For highly-charged heavy ions, one excepts that the nonrelativistic method would be inadequate and a relativistic treatment is necessary. To meet this challenge we have developed a relativistic package based on the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock method and have carried out systematic relativistic calculations of DR cross sections and rate coefficients and resonant transfer and excitation cross sections in ion-atom collisions. In this paper, we will briefly discuss the relativistic calculations of atomic structure and transition rates and will focus for attention on the effects of relativity and intermediate coupling on the DR cross sections and rate coefficients.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5809189
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-JC-109370; CONF-9110313--6; ON: DE92008070
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Effects of collisions on level populations and dielectronic recombination rates of multiply charged ions
Electron-impact ionization and recombination in positive ions
Related Subjects
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700380 -- Elementary & Classical Processes in Plasmas-- (1992-)
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
ATOM COLLISIONS
AUGER EFFECT
AUTOIONIZATION
CHARGED PARTICLES
COLLISIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTRON BEAM ION SOURCES
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
ELECTRON-ION COLLISIONS
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
ELEMENTS
EMISSION SPECTRA
ENERGY RANGE
HEAVY IONS
HYDROGEN
ION COLLISIONS
ION SOURCES
ION-ATOM COLLISIONS
IONIZATION
IONS
IRON IONS
MATRIX ELEMENTS
MERCURY IONS
MOLYBDENUM IONS
MULTICHARGED IONS
NICKEL IONS
NONMETALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA DIAGNOSTICS
RECOMBINATION
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SPECTRA
URANIUM IONS
XENON IONS