Atomic Data for Plasma Spectroscopy: The CHIANTI Database, Improvements and Challenges

Abstract

CHIANTI is an atomic database and software package for modeling emission lines and continua from hot astrophysical plasmas. It is freely available to all researchers and has been widely used in the Heliophysics and Astrophysics communities for almost 25 years. In this review, we summarize the properties of the current version of the database and give an overview of the relevant atomic processes. We also discuss progress towards a complete implementation of collisional-radiative modeling, simultaneously solving for atomic level and ion populations for individual elements.

A Decade with VAMDC: Results and Ambitions

“…NIFS Database c atomic, molecular processes [4,5] STEL, SOL, plasma, fusion VALD b atomic, molecular linelists [6] STEL, SOL VALD-Moscow b atomic, molecular linelists [6] STEL, SOL (subset) Section 2.1.2 NIST ASD c atomic lineslists [7] STEL, ISM Spectr-W 3 c atomic lineslists and collisions [8] STEL, SOL, plasma, fusion CHIANTI b atomic lineslists and collisions [9] SOL TIPbase b atomic linelists and collisions [10] STEL, SOL, plasma TOPbase b atomic linelists and collisions [11] STEL, SOL, plasma Stark-B b atomic line shifts, broadening [12,13] STEL, plasma CDMS b molecular linelists [14] ISM, E, C JPL c molecular linelists [15] ISM, E, C HITRAN c molecular linelists, broadening coefficients [16] radiative data for sixth row elements [3,38] STEL, SOL, plasmas atomic processes [40] STEL, SOL, plasma, fusion Clusters d cluster size distributions, condensation ( a ) ISM, P, biology a Paper in preparation b (FM, C) c (P, C) d (P, TC) e (FM, TC).…”

“…CHIANTI CHIANTI (www.chiantidatabase.org), first released in 1996 [55], is a well-established atomic database and modelling code for optically thin plasmas. For a recent overview of the status of the database and future plans, see [9]. The database consists of a series of American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) files with all the relevant atomic collisional and radiative rates (collisional excitation rates by electron and proton impact, transition probabilities, as well as theoretical/experimental wavelengths) required to calculate spectral line emissivities.…”

EUV Beam-Foil Spectra of Scandium, Vanadium, Chromium, Manganese, Cobalt, and Zinc

“…Another database of widespread interest is the result of the CHIANTI project [8][9][10][11][12]. This work addresses primarily astrophysicists and their needs; the objectives, achievements and perspectives of the CHIANTI project have recently be reviewed by project members [13]. Computed EUV spectra (modelled for various electron densities and temperatures as occur in the solar corona) help with the analysis and understanding of stellar spectra.…”

EUV Beam-Foil Spectra of Titanium, Iron, Nickel, and Copper

“…Another database of widespread interest is the result of the CHIANTI project [13][14][15][16][17]. This work addresses primarily astrophysicists and their needs; the objectives, achievements, and perspectives of the CHIANTI project have recently been reviewed by the project members [18]. In the CHIANTI project, Del Zanna and colleagues have built on Fawcett's photographic plates and combined them with the newer observations by sounding rockets (see the SERTS and EUNIS programs [19,20]) and satellites, especially the EIS spectrograph on the Hinode spacecraft [21], to derive critically compiled data on many ions that contribute to the spectra of the solar corona, in particular of Fe (see below).…”