2012 Articles

Theoretical electron-impact-ionization cross section for Fe11+ forming Fe12+

Kwon, D. H.; Savin, Daniel Wolf

We have calculated cross sections for electron impact ionization (EII) of P-like Fe11+ forming Si-like Fe12+. We have used the flexible atomic code (FAC) and a distorted-wave (DW) approximation. Particular attention has been paid to the ionization through the 3l→nl′ and 2l→nl′ excitation autoionization (EA) channels. We compare our results to previously published FAC DW results and recent experimental results. We find that the previous discrepancy between theory and experiment at the EII threshold can be accounted for by the 3l→nl′ EA channels which were not included in the earlier calculations. At higher energies the discrepancy previously seen between theory and experiment for the magnitude of the 2l→nl′ (n≥4) EA remains, though the difference has been reduced by our newer results. The resulting Maxwellian rate coefficient derived from our calculations lies within 11% of the experimentally derived rate coefficient in the temperature range where Fe11+ forms in collisional ionization equilibrium.