Ionization Corrections for Deriving Se and Kr Abundances in Ionized Nebulae

Details Ionization Corrections for Deriving Se and Kr Abundances in Ionized Nebulae Ionization Corrections for Deriving Se and Kr Abundances in Ionized Nebulae

Jan 2012

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012aas...21923906s&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #239.06

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Scientific paper

We present new analytical ionization correction factors (ICFs) for deriving Se and Kr abundances in photoionized nebulae. Recent observations have revealed emission lines of neutron(n)-capture elements (atomic number Z>30) in planetary nebulae (PNe), H II regions, and starburst galaxies. These detections demonstrate the potential of nebular spectroscopy for investigations of n-capture nucleosynthesis and the chemical evolution of trans-iron elements. However, the lack of atomic data needed to produce robust ionization balance solutions for n-capture elements has prevented the determination of accurate abundances for these elements.
We expanded the atomic database of the Cloudy photoionization code (Ferland et al. 1998, PASP, 110, 761) to include elements up to Kr, incorporating newly-computed photoionization cross sections and rate coefficients for radiative recombination, dielectronic recombination, and charge transfer for low-charge ions of Se and Kr (Sterling & Witthoeft 2011, A&A, 529, A147; Sterling 2011, A&A, 533, A62; Sterling & Stancil 2011, A&A, in press (arxiv:1108.3838)). We have computed a grid of models over a large range of stellar temperatures, luminosities, and nebular densities for PNe and H II regions. By comparing the fractional abundances of observed Se and Kr ions to those of commonly detected ions, we derived new analytical ICFs for unobserved Se and Kr ions. We also present preliminary results of the sensitivity of abundance determinations to atomic data uncertainties. These results enable accurate n-capture element abundances to be derived from nebular spectra for the first time, and will be applied to Se and Kr detections in PN spectra. N. C. Sterling gratefully acknowledges support from an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship under award AST-901432.

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