Energy levels, radiative rates and electron impact excitation rates for transitions in Si II

TL;DR

This paper presents detailed calculations of energy levels, radiative rates, and electron impact excitation data for Si II, improving accuracy and providing extensive comparisons with previous data to support plasma diagnostics and astrophysical modeling.

Contribution

The study provides new, highly accurate atomic data for Si II, including energy levels, radiative rates, and collision strengths, using advanced computational methods and extensive validation.

Findings

Energy levels are accurate within 0.1 Ryd.

Radiative rates are accurate within 20% for strong transitions.

Collision strengths are reliable within 20% for most transitions.

Abstract

Energies for the lowest 56 levels, belonging to the 3s$^2$3p, 3s3p$^2$, 3p$^3$, 3s$^2$3d, 3s3p3d, 3s$^2$4$\ell$ and 3s$^2$5$\ell$ configurations of Si II, are calculated using the {\sc grasp} (General-purpose Relativistic Atomic Structure Package) code. Analogous calculations have also been performed (for up to 175 levels) using the Flexible Atomic Code ({\sc fac}). Furthermore, radiative rates are calculated for all E1, E2, M1 and M2 transitions. Extensive comparisons are made with available theoretical and experimental energy levels, and the accuracy of the present results is assessed to be better than 0.1 Ryd. Similarly, the accuracy for radiative rates (and subsequently lifetimes) is estimated to be better than 20% for most of the (strong) transitions. Electron impact excitation collision strengths are also calculated, with the Dirac Atomic R-matrix Code ({\sc darc}), over a wide energy range up to 13 Ryd. Finally, to determine effective collision strengths, resonances are resolved in a fine energy mesh in the thresholds region. These collision strengths are averaged over a Maxwellian velocity distribution and results listed over a wide range of temperatures, up to 10$^{5.5}$ K. Our data are compared with earlier $R$-matrix calculations and differences noted, up to a factor of two, for several transitions. Although scope remains for improvement, the accuracy for our results of collision strengths and effective collision strengths is assessed to be about 20% for a majority of transitions.