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We report the measurements of the n = 3 → n = 2 L-shell X-ray transitions of neon-like Eu53+. These include all seven allowed electric dipole (E1) transitions, five electric quadrupole (E2) transitions, and one magnetic quadrupole (M2) transition. The measurements were carried out at the EBIT-I electron beam ion trap facility at Livermore using an X-ray calorimeter. The measured values agree with many-body perturbation theory calculations within the experimental uncertainties. This includes the transitions that involve a 2s electron and that are, therefore, strongly affected by quantum electrodynamical effects.

We report measurements of electron-impact excitation cross sections for the strong K-shell n=2-1 transitions in S XV using the LLNL EBIT-I electron beam ion trap, two crystal spectrometers, and the EBIT Calorimeter Spectrometer. The cross sections are determined by direct normalization to the well known cross sections of radiative electron capture, measured simultaneously. Using contemporaneous polarization measurements with the two crystal spectrometers, whose dispersion planes are oriented parallel and perpendicular to the electron beam direction, the polarization of the direct excitation line emission is determined, and in turn the isotropic total cross sections are extracted. We further experimentally investigate various line-formation mechanisms, finding that radiative cascades and collisional inner-shell ionization dominate the degree of linear polarization and total line-emission cross sections of the forbidden line $z$., 16 Pages, 9 Figures, published in ApJ

We demonstrate a widely applicable technique to absolutely calibrate the energy scale of x-ray spectra with experimentally well-known and accurately calculable transitions of highly charged ions, allowing us to measure the K-shell Rydberg spectrum of molecular O_{2} with 8 meV uncertainty. We reveal a systematic ∼450 meV shift from previous literature values, and settle an extraordinary discrepancy between astrophysical and laboratory measurements of neutral atomic oxygen, the latter being calibrated against the aforementioned O_{2} literature values. Because of the widespread use of such, now deprecated, references, our method impacts on many branches of x-ray absorption spectroscopy. Moreover, it potentially reduces absolute uncertainties there to below the meV level.

We resonantly excite the $K$ series of O$^{5+}$ and O$^{6+}$ up to principal quantum number $n=11$ with monochromatic x rays, producing $K$-shell holes, and observe their relaxation by soft-x-ray emission. Some photoabsorption resonances of O$^{5+}$ reveal strong two-electron--one-photon (TEOP) transitions. We find that for the $[(1s\,2s)_1\,5p_{3/2}]_{3/2;1/2}$ states, TEOP relaxation is by far stronger than the radiative decay and competes with the usually much faster Auger decay path. This enhanced TEOP decay arises from a strong correlation with the near-degenerate upper states $[(1s\,2p_{3/2})_1\,4s]_{3/2;1/2}$ of a Li-like satellite blend of the He-like $K\alpha$ transition. Even in three-electron systems, TEOP transitions can play a dominant role, and the present results should guide further research on the ubiquitous and abundant many-electron ions where electronic energy degeneracies are far more common and configuration mixing is stronger., Comment: Published in PRA

Based on laboratory data from the Lawrence Livermore EBIT-I electron beam ion trap and calculations using the relativistic multi-reference Moller-Plesset (MRMP) perturbation theory approach, we identify L-shell transitions of M-shell iron ions in emission spectra of the nearby stars Capella and Procyon. These lines are weaker than the well known, prominent lines from Fe XVII. However, they need to be taken into account when modeling the spectra, especially of cool stars.

Physical review letters 124(22), 225001 (1-7) (2020). doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.225001, For more than 40 years, most astrophysical observations and laboratory studies of two key soft x-ray diagnostic $2p$−$3d$ transitions, $3C$ and $3D$, in Fe XVII ions found oscillator strength ratios $f(3C)$/$f(3D)$ disagreeing with theory, but uncertainties had precluded definitive statements on this much studied conundrum. Here, we resonantly excite these lines using synchrotron radiation at PETRA III, and reach, at a millionfold lower photon intensities, a 10 times higher spectral resolution, and 3 times smaller uncertainty than earlier work. Our final result of $f(3C)$/$f(3D)$=3.09(8)(6) supports many of the earlier clean astrophysical and laboratory observations, while departing by five sigmas from our own newest large-scale ab initio calculations, and excluding all proposed explanations, including those invoking nonlinear effects and population transfers., Published by APS, College Park, Md.

Calculations that achieve spectroscopic accuracy, i.e., at the level of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ or better, are rare and typically restricted to few-electron systems. Here we present high-resolution grating spectrometer measurements of 11 $2{s}_{1/2}\text{\ensuremath{-}}2{p}_{3/2}$ transitions in neonlike ${\mathrm{Ge}}^{22+}$ that distinguish between two different implementations of the many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) method, including our own. The measurements show that our implementation of the MBPT method consistently achieves spectroscopic accuracy at the ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ level for all of the measured lines. Moreover, our calculations improve the ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ accuracy of prior MBPT calculations by an order of magnitude and allow us to make greatly improved predictions of the location of potential photopumped lines in ${\mathrm{Ge}}^{22+}$. The measurements also improve on previous measurements of $2{s}_{1/2}\text{\ensuremath{-}}2{p}_{3/2}$ transitions in fluorinelike ${\mathrm{Ge}}^{23+}$ and oxygenlike ${\mathrm{Ge}}^{24+}$. Measurements of $n=2\phantom{\rule{4.pt}{0ex}}\text{to}\phantom{\rule{4.pt}{0ex}}n=3$ transitions in ${\mathrm{Al}}^{7+}$, ${\mathrm{Al}}^{8+}$, and ${\mathrm{Al}}^{9+}$ are used to support our measurement accuracy at the ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ level.

Many resonant photo-pumped X-ray laser schemes that use a strong pump line such as Ly-α or He-α to populate the upper laser state of a separate lasing material have been proposed over the last four decades but none have been demonstrated. As a first step to creating a photo-pumped X-ray laser we decided to reinvestigate some of these schemes at the Orion laser facility with the goal to demonstrate enhanced fluorescence as a first step toward creating a laser. In particular we look at using the Ly-α or He-α K lines to pump the 1s – 3p and 4p transitions in H-like Cl and see fluorescence on the 4f -3d line at 65 Å and the 3d – 2p line at 23 Å. Preliminary experiments are presented that show a modest enhancement of 40% on the 3d-2p line. As an alternative we also look at enhancing the 2p – 2s line in Ne-like Ge at 65Å using the Ly-α Mg line to photo-pump the 2s – 3p line of Ne-like Ge. Calculations are presented that suggest modest enhancements of 2.5 and recent experiments will be presented that show emission from a Ge plasma pumped by the Ly-α Mg line.

Prompted by the detection of K-shell absorption or emission features in the spectra of plasma surrounding high mass X-ray binaries and black holes, recent measurements using the Livermore electron beam ion trap have focused on the energies of the n = 2 to n = 1 K-shell transitions in the L-shell ions of lithiumlike through fluorinelike silicon and sulfur. In parallel, we have made calculations of these transitions using the Flexible Atomic Code and the multi-reference Moller-Plesset (MRMP) atomic physics code. Using this code we have attempted to produce sets of theoretical atomic data with spectroscopic accuracy for all the L-shell ions of silicon and sulfur. We present results of our calculations for oxygenlike and fluorinelike silicon and compare them to the recent electron beam ion trap measurements as well as previous calculations.

In an electron beam ion trap (EBIT), the ions are not confined to the electron beam, but rather oscillate in and out of the beam. As a result, the ions do not continuously experience the full density of the electron beam. To determine the effective electron density, ne,eff, experienced by the ions, the electron beam size, the nominal electron density ne, and the ion distribution around the beam, i.e., the so-called ion cloud, must be measured. We use imaging techniques in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and optical to determine these. The electron beam width is measured using 3d → 3p emission from Fe xii and xiii between 185 and 205 A. These transitions are fast and the EUV emission occurs only within the electron beam. The measured spatial emission profile and variable electron current yield a nominal electron density range of ne ∼ 1011–1013 cm−3. We determine the size of the ion cloud using optical emission from metastable levels of ions with radiative lifetimes longer than the ion orbital periods. The resulting emission maps out the spatial distribution of the ion cloud. We find a typical electron beam radius of ∼60 μm and an ion cloud radius of ∼300 μm. These yield a spatially averaged effective electron density, ne,eff, experienced by the ions in EBIT spanning ∼ 5 × 109–5 × 1011 cm−3.

Uncertainties in atomic models will introduce noticeable additional systematics in calculating the flux of weak dielectronic recombination (DR) satellite lines, affecting the detection and flux measurements of other weak spectral lines. One important example is the Ar XVII He-beta DR, which is expected to be present in emission from the hot intracluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters and could impact measurements of the flux of the 3.5 keV line that has been suggested as a secondary emission from a dark matter interaction. We perform a set of experiments using the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's electron beam ion trap (EBIT-I) and the X-Ray Spectrometer quantum calorimeter (XRS/EBIT), to test the Ar XVII He-beta DR origin of the 3.5 keV line. We measured the X-ray emission following resonant DR onto helium-like and lithium-like Argon using EBIT-I's Maxwellian simulator mode at a simulated electron temperature of Te=1.74 keV. The measured flux of the Ar XVII He-beta DR lined is too weak to account for the flux in the 3.5 keV line assuming reasonable plasma parameters. We, therefore, rule out Ar XVII He-beta DR as a significant contributor to the 3.5 keV line. A comprehensive comparison between the atomic theory and the EBIT experiment results is also provided., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 11 pages, 5 figures

One of the first questions that should be considered to adequately describe radiation of high Z ions from High Energy Density (HED) plasmas and from even more extreme environments is: “How can we calculate and, most importantly, validate atomic properties and spectra of complex, high Z, highly charged ions in non-equilibrium as a function of plasma parameters and electron distribution function?” To contribute to answering this challenging question, we present a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the line emission from Mo HED plasmas benchmarked with LLNL EBIT data. Though there were some studies of Mo line radiation from pulsed power plasmas produced at UNR, Cornel University, and SNL before, there was no benchmarking with EBIT data. The analysis of X-ray spectra from high-Z HED plasma is always a very challenging topic because of contributions from numerous ionization stages and from multiple atomic processes in the plasma, such as, for example, dielectronic recombination, that is impossible to resolve in a rather narrow spectral range. We performed two types of Mo experiments at both the LLNL EBIT and at the Z-pinch generator at NTF/UNR to study line radiation in a spectral range between 3.5 and 5.5 A. In particular, benchmarking experiments at the LLNL EBIT with Mo ions produced at electron beam energies from 2.75 keV up to 15 keV allowed us to break down these very complicated spectra into spectra with only few ionization stages and to select processes that influence them. The EBIT data were recorded using the EBIT Calorimeter Spectrometer and a crystal spectrometer with a Ge crystal. X-ray Mo spectra and pinhole images were collected from Z-pinch plasmas produced from various wire loads to provide different levels of opacity and electron beam effects. Non-LTE modeling and high-precision relativistic data were used to analyze L-shell Mo spectra from both experimental campaigns: an almost monoenergetic electron distribution function (EDF) for EBIT data and Maxwellian and non-Maxwellian EDFs for modeling of HED plasma spectra. The influence of different plasma processes including electron beams on Mo line radiation is summarized.

We report a systematic measurement of the ${(2{p}_{1/2}^{\ensuremath{-}1}3{d}_{3/2})}_{J=1}$ and ${(2{s}_{1/2}^{\ensuremath{-}1}3{p}_{1/2})}_{J=1}$ levels in 14 neonlike ions between ${\mathrm{Ba}}^{46+}$ and ${\mathrm{Pb}}^{72+}$ and document the effects of their avoided crossing near $Z=68$. Strong mixing affects the oscillator strengths over a surprisingly wide range of atomic numbers and leads to the vanishing of one transition two atomic numbers below the crossing. The crossing voids the otherwise correct expectation that the ${(2{p}_{1/2}^{\ensuremath{-}1}3{d}_{3/2})}_{J=1}$ level energy is only weakly affected by quantum electrodynamics (QED). For about 10 atomic numbers surrounding the crossing, its QED contributions are anomalously large, attaining almost equality to those affecting the ${(2{s}_{1/2}^{\ensuremath{-}1}3{p}_{1/2})}_{J=1}$ level. As a result, the accuracy of energy level calculations appears compromised near the crossing.

We have measured the 3s1/2-3p3/2 transition in sodiumlike Eu52+ situated at 41.232 A with an uncertainty of 73 ppm. Our measurement extends previous high-precision measurements into the 56< Z< 78 range of atomic numbers. We also present measurements of 3s1/2-3p3/2 and 3p1/2-3d3/2 transitions in the neighboring magnesiumlike, aluminumlike, and siliconlike europium ions.

We have designed and implemented a neutral metal vapor injector on the SuperEBIT high-energy electron beam ion trap at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. A horizontally directed vapor of a europium metal is created using a thermal evaporation technique. The metal vapor is then spatially collimated prior to injection into the trap. The source's form and quantity constraints are significantly reduced making plasmas out of metal with vapor pressures ≤10(-7) Torr at ≥1000 °C more obtainable. A long pulsed or constant feed metal vapor injection method adds new flexibility by varying the timing of injection and rate of material being introduced into the trap.

Photoabsorption by and fluorescence of the K{\alpha} transitions in highly charged iron ions are essential mechanisms for X-ray radiation transfer in astrophysical environments. We study photoabsorption due to the main K{\alpha} transitions in highly charged iron ions from heliumlike to fluorinelike (Fe 24+...17+) 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 binaries and active galactic nuclei., Comment: Revised version

We describe a crystal spectrometer implemented on the Livermore electron beam ion traps that employ two spherically bent quartz crystals and a cryogenically cooled back-illuminated charge-coupled device detector to measure x rays with a nominal resolving power of λ/Δλ ≥ 10 000. Its focusing properties allow us to record x rays either with the plane of dispersion perpendicular or parallel to the electron beam and, thus, to preferentially select one of the two linear x-ray polarization components. Moreover, by choice of dispersion plane and focussing conditions, we use the instrument either to image the distribution of the ions within the 2 cm long trap region, or to concentrate x rays of a given energy to a point on the detector, which optimizes the signal-to-noise ratio. We demonstrate the operation and utility of the new instrument by presenting spectra of Mo34+, which prepares the instrument for use as a core impurity diagnostic on the NSTX-U spherical torus and other magnetic fusion devices that employ molybdenum as plasma facing components.

X-ray spectroscopy is a useful tool for diagnosing plasma sources due to its non-invasive nature. One such source is the dense plasma focus (DPF). Recent interest has developed to demonstrate its potential application as a soft x-ray source. We present the first spectroscopic studies of krypton high energy density plasmas produced on a 3 kJ DPF device in Singapore. In order to diagnose spectral features, and to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of plasma parameters, a new non-local thermodynamic equilibrium L-shell kinetic model for krypton was developed. It has the capability of incorporating hot electrons, with different electron distribution functions, in order to examine the effects that they have on emission spectra. To further substantiate the validity of this model, it is also benchmarked with data gathered from experiments on the electron beam ion trap (EBIT) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where data were collected using the high resolution EBIT calorimeter spectrometer.

We characterized the dissociation fraction of a thermal dissociation atomic hydrogen source by injecting the mixed atomic and molecular output of the source into an electron beam ion trap containing highly charged ions and recording the x-ray spectrum generated by charge exchange using a high-resolution x-ray calorimeter spectrometer. We exploit the fact that the charge exchange state-selective capture cross sections are very different for atomic and molecular hydrogen incident on the same ions, enabling a clear spectroscopic diagnostic of the neutral species.

Fluorescence of iron ions induced by an X-ray laser allows the relative oscillator strength for Fe xvii emission to be determined; it is found to differ by 3.6σ from the best quantum mechanical calculations, suggesting that the poor agreement between prediction and observations of the brightest Fe xvii line is rooted in the quality of the underlying atomic wavefunctions used in the models. The interpretation of some of the spectral data from the Chandra and XMM-Newton orbiting X-ray missions has been complicated by discrepancies between theory and observation involving the emission lines from the highly charged Fe16+ ion, also known as Fe XVII. Specifically, the intensity of the strongest Fe XVII line, one of the brightest X-ray emissions from galaxies and stars, is generally weaker than predicted. Sven Bernitt et al. report the results of laboratory experiments in which a target of iron ions was fluoresced with femtosecond X-ray pulses from a free-electron laser. They find a relative oscillator strength that differs by 3.6σ from the best quantum mechanical calculations, suggesting that the poor agreement is rooted in the calculations of the underlying atomic dynamics and that the current astrophysical models are not at fault. Highly charged iron (Fe16+, here referred to as Fe xvii) produces some of the brightest X-ray emission lines from hot astrophysical objects1, including galaxy clusters and stellar coronae, and it dominates the emission of the Sun at wavelengths near 15 angstroms. The Fe xvii spectrum is, however, poorly fitted by even the best astrophysical models. A particular problem has been that the intensity of the strongest Fe xvii line is generally weaker than predicted2,3. This has affected the interpretation of observations by the Chandra and XMM-Newton orbiting X-ray missions1, fuelling a continuing controversy over whether this discrepancy is caused by incomplete modelling of the plasma environment in these objects or by shortcomings in the treatment of the underlying atomic physics. Here we report the results of an experiment in which a target of iron ions was induced to fluoresce by subjecting it to femtosecond X-ray pulses from a free-electron laser4; our aim was to isolate a key aspect of the quantum mechanical description of the line emission. Surprisingly, we find a relative oscillator strength that is unexpectedly low, differing by 3.6σ from the best quantum mechanical calculations. Our measurements suggest that the poor agreement is rooted in the quality of the underlying atomic wavefunctions rather than in insufficient modelling of collisional processes.

We present spectroscopic measurements of the M-shell emission of highly charged europium performed at the Livermore SuperEBIT electron beam ion trap facility using the EBIT Calorimeter Spectrometer (ECS). There is significant blending among the emission lines from the different charge states but despite the complexity of the observed spectra we have successfully identified the ten brightest n = 4 ? 3 transitions from sodium-like Eu52+ utilizing the Flexible Atomic Code (FAC). We find that the difference between the calculated and measured transition energies for these ten Eu52+ lines does not exceed 3 eV. In fact, for four of the identified lines we find agreement within the measured uncertainties. Additional comparison with semi-empirical transition-energy predictions for sodium-like ions from laser-generated plasmas is included and shows that overall the semi-empirical predicted values for the transition energies are slightly higher than the measured values, while the FAC values that didnt agree with the measured transition energies are almost 1 eV lower than the measured values.

Strong, relatively short, absorption dips have been observed in the x-ray light curves measured from the high mass x-ray binary system Cygnus X-1. With increasing strength of the dips, which are believed to be caused by 'clumps' of cold material present in the stellar wind of Cyg X-1's companion star, K-shell absorption lines in L-shell ions of Si and S develop. To determine the bulk motion of the clumps via the Doppler shifts of these lines with high accuracy, we measured their reference energies using the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory electron beam ion trap EBIT-I and EBIT Calorimeter Spectrometer. Our findings—shifts consistent with zero velocity of the absorber throughout all ionization states at orbital phase zero—provide evidence for an onion-like ion structure of the clumps.