Decay properties of K-vacancy states in Fe X-Fe XVII

We report extensive calculations of the decay properties of fine structure K-vacancy levels in Fe X-FeXVII. A large set of level energies, wavelengths, radiative and Auger rates, and fluorescence yields has been computed using three different standard atomic codes, namely Cowan's HFR, AUTOSTRUCTURE and the Breit-Pauli R-matrix package. This multi-code approach is used to study the effects of core relaxation, configuration interaction and the Breit interaction, and enables the estimate of statistical accuracy ratings. The K\alpha and KLL Auger widths have been found to be nearly independent of both the outer-electron configuration and electron occupancy keeping a constant ratio of 1.53± 0.06. By comparing with previous theoretical and measured wavelengths, the accuracy of the present set is determined to be within 2 mÅ. Also, the good agreement found between the different radiative and Auger data sets that have been computed allows us to propose with confidence an accuracy rating of 20% for the line fluorescence yields greater than 0.01. Emission and absorption spectral features are predicted finding good correlation with measurements in both laboratory and astrophysical plasmas.

Tables 4 and 5 are only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/414/377