Relativistic distorted-wave calculations of electron collision cross sections and rate coefficients for Ne-like ions

Abstract

Electron collision data are required for population kinetics modeling and spectral predictions of highly ionized ions in high-temperature plasmas. For highly stripped ions of moderate to high Z, relativistic effects begin to play a role in the atomic physics calculations. We describe numerical techniques which we have employed to compute relativistic distorted-wave inelastic electron collision cross sections from relativistic multiconfiguration bound states. As an application of these techniques, we have calculated full sets of cross sections and rate coefficients between all L-shell and M-shell states of the Ne-like ions Fe, Se. Y, Mo, and Ag.