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Title: Relativistic opacities for astrophysical applications

Abstract

Here, we report on the use of the Los Alamos suite of relativistic atomic physics codes to generate radiative opacities for the modeling of astrophysically relevant plasmas under local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions. The atomic structure calculations are carried out in fine-structure detail, including full configuration interaction. Three example applications are considered: iron opacities at conditions relevant to the base of the solar convection zone, nickel opacities for the modeling of stellar envelopes, and samarium opacities for the modeling of light curves produced by neutron star mergers. In the first two examples, comparisons are made between opacities that are generated with the fully and semi-relativistic capabilities in the Los Alamos suite of codes. As expected for these highly charged, iron-peak ions, the two methods produce reasonably similar results, providing confidence that the numerical methods have been correctly implemented. However, discrepancies greater than 10% are observed for nickel and investigated in detail. In the final application, the relativistic capability is used in a preliminary investigation of the complicated absorption spectrum associated with cold lanthanide elements.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1329688
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1251674
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-15-23684
Journal ID: ISSN 1574-1818
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-06NA25396
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
High Energy Density Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 16; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 1574-1818
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; relativistic atomic data; LTE opacities; neutron star mergers

Citation Formats

Fontes, Christopher John, Fryer, Christopher Lee, Hungerford, Aimee L., Hakel, Peter, Colgan, James Patrick, Kilcrease, David Parker, and Sherrill, Manalo Edgar. Relativistic opacities for astrophysical applications. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/j.hedp.2015.06.002.
Fontes, Christopher John, Fryer, Christopher Lee, Hungerford, Aimee L., Hakel, Peter, Colgan, James Patrick, Kilcrease, David Parker, & Sherrill, Manalo Edgar. Relativistic opacities for astrophysical applications. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hedp.2015.06.002
Fontes, Christopher John, Fryer, Christopher Lee, Hungerford, Aimee L., Hakel, Peter, Colgan, James Patrick, Kilcrease, David Parker, and Sherrill, Manalo Edgar. 2015. "Relativistic opacities for astrophysical applications". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hedp.2015.06.002. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1329688.
@article{osti_1329688,
title = {Relativistic opacities for astrophysical applications},
author = {Fontes, Christopher John and Fryer, Christopher Lee and Hungerford, Aimee L. and Hakel, Peter and Colgan, James Patrick and Kilcrease, David Parker and Sherrill, Manalo Edgar},
abstractNote = {Here, we report on the use of the Los Alamos suite of relativistic atomic physics codes to generate radiative opacities for the modeling of astrophysically relevant plasmas under local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions. The atomic structure calculations are carried out in fine-structure detail, including full configuration interaction. Three example applications are considered: iron opacities at conditions relevant to the base of the solar convection zone, nickel opacities for the modeling of stellar envelopes, and samarium opacities for the modeling of light curves produced by neutron star mergers. In the first two examples, comparisons are made between opacities that are generated with the fully and semi-relativistic capabilities in the Los Alamos suite of codes. As expected for these highly charged, iron-peak ions, the two methods produce reasonably similar results, providing confidence that the numerical methods have been correctly implemented. However, discrepancies greater than 10% are observed for nickel and investigated in detail. In the final application, the relativistic capability is used in a preliminary investigation of the complicated absorption spectrum associated with cold lanthanide elements.},
doi = {10.1016/j.hedp.2015.06.002},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1329688}, journal = {High Energy Density Physics},
issn = {1574-1818},
number = C,
volume = 16,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jun 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Mon Jun 29 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

Journal Article:

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 44 works
Citation information provided by
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Comparison of fully relativistic (FR; black solid line) and semi-relativistic (SR; red dashed line) LTE monochromatic opacities of iron at T = 193 eV and Ne = 1023 electrons/cm3. The average charge states and Rosseland mean opacities are listed in the legend. The general locations of the L-shellmore » and M-shell absorption features are also indicated.« less

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Works referenced in this record:

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Transient space localization of electrons ejected from continuum atomic processes in hot dense plasma
journal, December 2018


Kilonovae
journal, December 2019


Effect of Electron Capture on Spectral Line Broadening in Hot Dense Plasmas
journal, February 2020


The Emergence of a Lanthanide-rich Kilonova Following the Merger of Two Neutron Stars
journal, October 2017


Signatures of hypermassive neutron star lifetimes on r-process nucleosynthesis in the disc ejecta from neutron star mergers
journal, August 2017


Swift and NuSTAR observations of GW170817: Detection of a blue kilonova
journal, October 2017


Gamma Rays from Kilonova: A Potential Probe of r -process Nucleosynthesis
journal, February 2020


Computation of Atomic Astrophysical Opacities
journal, May 2018


The Lanthanide Fraction Distribution in Metal-poor Stars: A Test of Neutron Star Mergers as the Dominant r -process Site
journal, August 2019


The X-ray counterpart to the gravitational-wave event GW170817
journal, October 2017


Impact of ejecta morphology and composition on the electromagnetic signatures of neutron star mergers
journal, April 2018


Kilonovae
journal, May 2017


Line Broadening and the Solar Opacity Problem
journal, June 2016


High Resolution Photoexcitation Measurements Exacerbate the Long-Standing Fe XVII Oscillator Strength Problem
journal, June 2020


High Resolution Photoexcitation Measurements Exacerbate the Long-Standing Fe XVII Oscillator Strength Problem
text, January 2020


The Emergence of a Lanthanide-rich Kilonova Following the Merger of Two Neutron Stars
text, January 2017


Gamma-rays from kilonova: a potential probe of r-process nucleosynthesis
text, January 2019


Kilonovae
journal, May 2017


Kilonovae
journal, December 2019


Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.