A study of the breakdown of the quasi-static approximation at high densities and its effect on the helium-like K ALPHA complex of nickel, iron, and calcium

TL;DR

This study evaluates the validity of the quasi-static approximation in spectral modeling at high densities, revealing its limitations and providing quantitative thresholds for accurate plasma emission predictions.

Contribution

It quantitatively determines the density limits where the quasi-static approximation breaks down in spectral modeling of high-density plasmas, extending previous understanding.

Findings

Approximations are valid at low to moderate densities for He-like ions.

Breakdown occurs at higher densities, with new quantitative limits established.

The work informs modeling of high-density plasmas in fusion and astrophysics.

Abstract

The General Spectral Modeling (GSM) code employs the quasi-static approximation, a standard, low-density methodology that assumes the ionization balance is separable from a determination of the excited-state populations that give rise to the spectra. GSM also allows for some states to be treated only as contributions to effective rates. While these two approximations are known to be valid at low densities, this work investigates using such methods to model high-density, non-LTE emission spectra and determines at what point the approximations break down by comparing to spectra produced by the LANL code ATOMIC which makes no such approximations. As both approximations are used by other astrophysical and low-density modeling codes, the results should be of broad interest. He-like K$\alpha$ emission spectra are presented for Ni, Fe, and Ca, in order to gauge the effect of both approximations employed in GSM. This work confirms that at and above the temperature of maximum abundance of the He-like ionization stage, the range of validity for both approximations is sufficient for modeling the low- and moderate-density regimes one typically finds in astrophysical and magnetically confined fusion plasmas. However, a breakdown does occur for high densities; we obtain quantitative limits that are significantly higher than previous works. This work demonstrates that, while the range of validity for both approximations is sufficient to predict the density-dependent quenching of the z line, the approximations break down at higher densities. Thus these approximations should be used with greater care when modeling high-density plasmas such as those found in inertial confinement fusion and electromagnetic pinch devices.