Updated Atomic Data and Calculations for X-ray Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper presents the latest updates to AtomDB version 2.0.2, enhancing atomic data for X-ray spectroscopy, which significantly impacts plasma diagnostics and emission modeling in X-ray astronomy.

Contribution

It introduces major updates to atomic structure and process data in AtomDB, including new ionization, recombination, and excitation data for key ions.

Findings

Updated atomic data significantly affect emission line ratios.

Changes in atomic data alter temperature diagnostics by up to a factor of 2.

Enhanced database improves accuracy of X-ray plasma modeling.

Abstract

We describe the latest release of AtomDB, version 2.0.2, a database of atomic data and a plasma modeling code with a focus on X-ray astronomy. This release includes several major updates to the fundamental atomic structure and process data held within AtomDB, incorporating new ionization balance data, state-selective recombination data, and updated collisional excitation data for many ions, including the iron L-shell ions from Fe$^{+16}$ to Fe$^{+23}$ and all of the hydrogen- and helium-like sequences. We also describe some of the effects that these changes have on calculated emission and diagnostic line ratios, such as changes in the temperature implied by the He-like G-ratios of up to a factor of 2.