Radiative cooling of a low-density plasma.
Abstract
The paper extends and improves the radiative cooling coefficient calculations of Cox and Tucker (1969) and Cox and Daltabuit (1971) for a low-density optically thin plasma with no molecules or dust, of cosmic abundances in the range from 10,000 to 100,000,000 K. Earlier rates applied to a plasma containing H, He, C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si, and S; the present study added Ca, Fe, and Ni. For the elements included, many individual lines are calculated which previously has been averaged together. The cooling processes considered are permitted, forbidden, and semiforbidden line transitions, including contributions from dielectronic recombination and bremsstrahlung, radiative recombination, and two-photon continua. The ionization balance is calculated in collisional equilibrium using an approximate auto-ionization following inner-shell excitation and the low-density limit for the dielectronic recombination rate. Cooling in various observational bands in the soft X-ray region is determined.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- February 1976
- DOI:
- 10.1086/154170
- Bibcode:
- 1976ApJ...204..290R
- Keywords:
-
- Cosmic Plasma;
- High Temperature Plasmas;
- Radiant Cooling;
- Rarefied Plasmas;
- Space Environment Simulation;
- Abundance;
- Autoionization;
- Bremsstrahlung;
- Calcium;
- Electron-Ion Recombination;
- Forbidden Transitions;
- Iron;
- Nickel;
- Radiative Recombination;
- Astrophysics