AtomDB Workshop 2012

Randall SmithSmithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Building a Firm Connection Between “Laboratory” and “Astrophysics”…

will include thorough reading of these reports…

New Worlds, New Horizons

NWNH Decadal Recommendations Basic nuclear, ionic, atomic, and molecular physics to

support interpretation of data from JWST and future missions [e.g. Herschel, SPICA, IXO]; $2M/year additional funding recommended [25% increase]. (p.220)

“NASA and NSF support for laboratory astrophysics … should continue at current or higher levels over the coming decade because laboratory astrophysics is vital for optimizing the science return from current and planned facilities.”

“Missions and facilities, including DOE projects, that will require significant amounts of new laboratory research results to reach their science goals should include within their program budgets adequate funding for the necessary experimental and theoretical investigations.”

NWNH Origins

• How did the universe begin? • What were the first objects to light up the universe

and when did they do it?• How do cosmic structures form and evolve? • What are the connections between dark and

luminous matter? • What is the fossil record of galaxy assembly and

evolution from the first stars to the present?• How do stars form? • How do circumstellar disks evolve and form

planetary systems?

Study of the origin and evolution of astronomical objects including planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe itself can elucidate our origins.

TW Hya: Accretion & X-rays

TW Hya: A 10 Myr old“Sun” that is still accreting material

Accretion apparently heats a significant amount of coronal gas well beyond the shock itself. Determining this required measuringthe temperatures, densities, and velocities involved.

Brickhouse+ 2010

NWNH Origins: How do stars form?

TW Hya with Chandra HETGMajor atomic physics needs were H-like, He-like,

and Fe (and to a lesser extent Ni) L-shell line data.

Brickhouse+ 2010

489 ks (~8 days of observing)

Helium-like Diagnostics

While the temperature diagnostics for Mg XI, Ne IX, and O VII all give roughly the same result, the density diagnostics are significantly different, especially for O VII, leading to the primary result.

Brickhouse+ 2010

NWNH Cosmic Order

• How do baryons cycle in and out of galaxies, and what do they do while they are there?

• What are the flows of matter and energy in the circumgalactic medium?

• What controls the mass-energy-chemical cycles within galaxies?• How do black holes grow, radiate, and influence their

surroundings?• How do rotation and magnetic fields affect stars?• How do the lives of massive stars end?• How diverse are planetary systems?• What are the progenitors of Type Ia SNe and how do they

explode?• Do habitable worlds exist around other stars, and can we identify

the telltale signs of life on an exoplanet?

The combination of basic physical processes can often lead to surprisingly complex results and produce much of the intriguing cosmic order.

The Velocity of Intragalactic Gas in Elliptical Galaxies

NGC 5044 NGC 5813

NASA/CXC/U. Ohio/T.Statler & S.Diehl NASA/CXC/SAO/S.Randall et al.

NWNH Cosmic Origins: What are the flows of matter and energy in the circumgalactic medium?

Fe XVII Resonance Scattering

Fe 15.01Å has an oscillator strength of ~2.5, so a dense, low-turbulence environment will cause scattering that increases the observed ratio. But how to explain NGC5044 with AtomDB v2.0.1 models?

Fe XVII: Where are we now?

Gillaspy+ 2010

Fe XVII 3C/3D from the point of view of observational data and various calculations

NWNH Frontiers of Knowledge

Why is the Universe accelerating? What is dark matter? What are the properties of neutrinos? What controls the mass, radius, and spin of compact

stellar remnants?

New fundamental physics, chemistry, and biology can be revealed by astronomical measurements, experiments, or theory and hence push the frontiers of human knowledge.

Just how Standard are Type Ia SNe?

Calan–Tololo supernova survey data;https://www.llnl.gov/str/SepOct08/hoffman.html

Riess+ 2004

The evidence shows that the Universe is accelerating; NWNH carefully notes the next question is “why?”

Enter the era of precision cosmology, with associated improvements in measurements, calibration, and models.

Physics of Type Ia SNe

Badenes+(2008) considered model SNIa explosions with different neutron excesses and various classes of explosions, concluding that Tycho’s progenitor had near-solar or supersolar metallicity

Suzaku 100ks Tycho observation shows Mn and Cr fluorescence lines from partially-ionized material. Relevant atomic parameters had to be estimated.

Badenes et al 2008

NWNH Frontiers of Knowledge :Why is the Universe accelerating?

Moving beyond NWHN…

What Do Astronomers Want?

Precise and accurate data for calibration and interpretation. Ordered by importance:WavelengthsLine widths/shapes/blendsFluxes

Reliable and practical estimates of data accuracy (especially in X-ray astronomy!)

(from Lab Astro)

Calibration: Fluorescent Lines

The fluorescent lines from radioactive sources are complex of many lines.

Line widths measured by current calorimeters are dominated by the natural line widths – which are not known for many useful elements!

Bandler+ 2010

Hoelzer+ 1997

Calibration: Absorption Cross Sections

Lee et al 09

Absorption edges and related features still need a lot of work…

Calibration: Wavelengths

Kotochigova+ 2010

Fit using Fit using ‘‘rawraw’’ HULLAC HULLAC wavelengthswavelengths

Fit using lab (Brown Fit using lab (Brown et al. 1998) et al. 1998) wavelengthswavelengths

Fit using newly Fit using newly calculated calculated wavelengthswavelengths

• By combining laboratory measurements and theoretical structure calculations, can get highly accurate (few mÅ) wavelengths.

• Detectors with R>1000 require this kind of accuracy!

Sensitivity Testing

Labs determine statistical and systematic errors as part of all measurements; care is needed in interpreting systematic errors.

Theoretical calculations can use Monte-Carlo methods, varying the input atomic structure or calculation size to estimate sensitivities. While care is again needed, these are better than providing no estimate at all.

See also Bravo & Martínez-Pinedo (2012)

Conclusions

Point #1:

We must maintain a tight connection between identified astrophysical questions

and lab astro measurements and calculations.

Conclusions

Point #2:

15 years ago, we knew existing X-ray spectral models would not survive the

imminent arrival of new capabilities from Chandra and XMM-Newton

Inadequate Fe L shell models with missing lines and inaccurate wavelengths

Out of date models for H, He-like ions

Conclusions

Point #3:

Astro-H will soon increase the effective area of X-ray spectroscopy 100-fold

Some data are still missing: Ni L-shell, Fluorescent lines from select ions, Fe L-shell wavelengths, BUT

Current approach of assuming zero spectral model errors will lead to data that cannot data that cannot be interpretedbe interpreted.