Atomic Lifetimes of Astrophysical Interest in Ions of Fe

Abstract

Multiply charged ions of iron dominate the EUV spectrum of the solar corona. For the interpretation of such spectra, data on both the atomic structure and the transition rate are essential, most of which are provided by theory and computation. The wavelengths of observed spectra are used to test the predicted energy level structure, while the line intensities depend on level lifetimes and branch fractions. A number of electric dipole and higher-order transition rates have been measured over the years in the laboratory, mostly by beam-foil spectroscopy, at heavy-ion storage rings, and at various ion traps. In this paper, the state of the knowledge base on level lifetimes in all ions of Fe is assessed, and the problems of further progress are outlined.

Keywords

• atomic physics
• atomic level lifetimes
• transition rates