H, He-like recombination spectra IV; H, He-like recombination spectra IV: clarification and refinement of methodology for $l$-changing collisions

Abstract

Precise spectral diagnostic modelling of H~{\sc i} and He~{\sc ii} recombination spectra can constrain theoretical models which describe many astrophysical environments. Simple analytic expressions are of interest for collisional $l$-changing rate coefficients that are used by large-scale population modelling codes. We review, clarify and improve-upon the modified Pengelly \& Seaton formulae of Guzmán \etal We show that the recent poor results for it shown by Vrinceanu \etal are due to their misinterpretation of its usage. We also detail efficient numerical algorithms which should enable the full quantum mechanical expression for such rate coefficients to be used much more routinely by modelling codes. We illustrate with some collisional-radiative population modelling for hydrogen.

accepted in MNRAS

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Cited by in corpus (3)

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• H-, He-like recombination spectra -- V: On the dependence of the simulated line intensities on the number of electronic levels of the atoms