Nearly a century ago it was recognized that radiation absorption by stellar matter controls the internal temperature profiles within stars. Laboratory opacity measurements, however, have never been performed at stellar interior conditions, introducing uncertainties in stellar models. A particular problem arose when refined photosphere spectral analysis led to reductions of 30-50 per cent in the inferred amounts of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in the Sun. Standard solar models using the revised element abundances disagree with helioseismic observations that determine the internal solar structure using acoustic oscillations. This could be resolved if the true mean opacity for the solar interior matter were roughly 15 per cent higher than predicted, because increased opacity compensates for the decreased element abundances. Iron accounts for a quarter of the total opacity at the solar radiation/convection zone boundary. Here we report measurements of wavelength-resolved iron opacity at electron temperatures of 1.9-2.3 million kelvin and electron densities of (0.7-4.0) × 10(22) per cubic centimetre, conditions very similar to those in the solar region that affects the discrepancy the most: the radiation/convection zone boundary. The measured wavelength-dependent opacity is 30-400 per cent higher than predicted. This represents roughly half the change in the mean opacity needed to resolve the solar discrepancy, even though iron is only one of many elements that contribute to opacity.

Abstract.A programme is outlined for the assembly of a comprehensive dielectronic recombination database within the generalized collisional-radiative (GCR) framework. It is valid for modelling ions of elements in dynamic finite-density plasmas such as occur in transient astrophysical plasmas such as solar flares and in the divertors and high transport regions of magnetic fusion devices. The resolution and precision of the data are tuned to spectral analysis and so are sufficient for prediction of the dielectronic recombination contributions to individual spectral line emissivities. The fundamental data are structured according to the format prescriptions of the Atomic Data and Analysis Structure (ADAS) and the production of relevant GCR derived data for application is described and implemented following ADAS. The requirements on the dielectronic recombination database are reviewed and the new data are placed in context and evaluated with respect to older and more approximate treatments. Illustrative results validate the new high-resolution zero-density dielectronic recombination data in comparison with measurements made in heavy-ion storage rings utilizing an electron cooler. We also exemplify the role of the dielectronic data on GCR coefficient behaviour for some representative light and medium weight elements.

We present a new, publicly available set of Los Alamos OPLIB opacity tables for the elements hydrogen through zinc. Our tables are computed using the Los Alamos ATOMIC opacity and plasma modeling code, and make use of atomic structure calculations that use fine-structure detail for all the elements considered. Our equation of state model, known as ChemEOS, is based on the minimization of free energy in a chemical picture and appears to be a reasonable and robust approach to determining atomic state populations over a wide range of temperatures and densities. In this paper we discuss in detail the calculations that we have performed for the 30 elements considered, and present some comparisons of our monochromatic opacities with measurements and other opacity codes. We also use our new opacity tables in solar modeling calculations and compare and contrast such modeling with previous work.

We review the development of the time-dependent close-coupling method to study atomic and molecular few body dynamics. Applications include electron and photon collisions with atoms, molecules, and their ions.

The formulation of the time-dependent close-coupling method is extended so that energy and angle differential cross sections for the double photoionization of helium may be obtained. The fully quantal method now yields absolute total integral, energy differential, and angle differential cross sections. A detailed comparison is made with the absolute synchrotron measurements of Bräuning et al (1998 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 31 5149-60) for triple differential cross sections at 20 eV excess photon energy. The agreement between theory and experiment is excellent.