X-ray resonant photoexcitation: linewidths and energies of Kα transitions in highly charged Fe ions

J K Rudolph; S Bernitt; S W Epp; R Steinbrügge; C Beilmann; G V Brown; S Eberle; A Graf; Z Harman; N Hell; M Leutenegger; A Müller; K Schlage; H-C Wille; H Yavaş; J Ullrich; J R Crespo López-Urrutia

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.103002

X-ray resonant photoexcitation: linewidths and energies of Kα transitions in highly charged Fe ions

Phys Rev Lett. 2013 Sep 6;111(10):103002. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.103002. Epub 2013 Sep 5.

Authors

J K Rudolph¹, S Bernitt², S W Epp³, R Steinbrügge², C Beilmann⁴, G V Brown⁵, S Eberle², A Graf⁵, Z Harman⁶, N Hell⁷, M Leutenegger⁸, A Müller⁹, K Schlage¹⁰, H-C Wille¹⁰, H Yavaş¹⁰, J Ullrich², J R Crespo López-Urrutia²

Affiliations

¹ Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Institut für Atom- und Molekülphysik, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Leihgesterner Weg 217, 35392 Gießen, Germany.
² Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
³ Max Planck Advanced Study Group, CFEL, Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.
⁴ Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 226, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
⁵ Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA.
⁶ Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany and ExtreMe Matter Institute (EMMI), Planckstraße 1, 64291 Darmstadt, Germany.
⁷ Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, USA and Dr. Karl Remeis-Observatory and ECAP, Universität Erlangen Nürnberg, Sternwartstraße 7, 96049 Bamberg, Germany.
⁸ NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA and Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland 21250, USA.
⁹ Institut für Atom- und Molekülphysik, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Leihgesterner Weg 217, 35392 Gießen, Germany.
¹⁰ Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (PETRA III), Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany.

PMID: 25166661
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.103002

Abstract

Photoabsorption by and fluorescence of the Kα transitions in highly charged iron ions are essential mechanisms for x-ray radiation transfer in astrophysical environments. We study photoabsorption due to the main Kα transitions in highly charged iron ions from heliumlike to fluorinelike (Fe24+ to Fe17+) using monochromatic x rays around 6.6 keV at the PETRA III synchrotron photon source. Natural linewidths were determined with hitherto unattained accuracy. The observed transitions are of particular interest for the understanding of photoexcited plasmas found in x-ray binary stars and active galactic nuclei.