Laboratory Astrophysics Survey of Key X-Ray Diagnostic Lines Using a Microcalorimeter on an Electron Beam Ion Trap

Published

September 1, 2000

Author(s)

E Silver, H. Schnopper, Simon R. Bandler, N Brickhouse, S Murray, M Barbera, E Takacs, John D. Gillaspy, James V. Porto, I Kink, J M. Laming, N. Madden, D Landis, J. Beeman, E. E. Haller

Abstract

Cosmic plasma conditions created in an Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT) make it possible to simulate the dependencies of Key diagnostic x-ray lines on density, temperature, and excitation conditions that exist in astrophysical sources. We used a microcalorimeter for such laboratory astrophysics studies because it has a resolving a resolving power nearly equal to} 1000, quantum efficiency approaching 100% and a bandwidth that spans the x-ray energies from 0.2 keV to 10 keV. Our microcalorimeter, coupled with an X-ray optic to increase the effective solid angle, provides a significant new capability for laboratory astrophysics measurements. Broadband spectra optained from the National Institute of Standards and Technology EBIT with an energy resolution approaching that of a Bragg crystal spectrometer are presented for nitrogen, oxygen, neon, argon, and krypton in various stages of ionization. We have compared the measured line intensities to theoretical predictions for an EBIT plasma.

Citation

Astrophysical Journal

Volume

No. 541

Issue

No 1

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

atomic data, atomic processes, laboratory plasmas, line formation, line identification, x-ray spectroscopy

Citation

Silver, E. , Schnopper, H. , Bandler, S. , Brickhouse, N. , Murray, S. , Barbera, M. , Takacs, E. , Gillaspy, J. , Porto, J. , Kink, I. , Laming, J. , Madden, N. , Landis, D. , Beeman, J. and Haller, E. (2000), Laboratory Astrophysics Survey of Key X-Ray Diagnostic Lines Using a Microcalorimeter on an Electron Beam Ion Trap, Astrophysical Journal (Accessed May 20, 2024)