RELATIVISTIC R -MATRIX CLOSE-COUPLING CALCULATIONS FOR PHOTOIONIZATION OF Si-LIKE Ni XV

Abstract

We present relativistic close-coupling photoionization calculations of Ni XV using the Breit-Pauli R-matrix method to obtain photoionization cross section of Ni XV from the ground state 3s 23p 2(3 P 0) and the lowest four 3s 23p 2 (3 P 1,2, 1 D 2, 1 S 0) excited states. A multiconfiguration eigenfunction expansion of the core Ni XVI is employed with configurations 3s 23p, 3s3p 2, 3s 23d, 3p 3, 3s3p3d, 3p 23d, 3s3d 2, 3p3d 2. We have included the lowest 40 target level states of Ni XVI in the photoionization calculations of Ni XV. Cross sections are determined by the Rydberg series of autoionizing resonances converging to several ionic states of Ni XVI. In our calculations, we have taken into account all the important physical effects such as exchange, channel coupling, and short-range correlation. Further, relativistic effects are incorporated by including mass correction, Darwin term, and spin-orbit interaction terms. The present calculations using the lowest 40 target levels of Ni XVI are presented for the first time and can be useful for modeling the ionization balance of Ni XV in laboratory and astrophysical plasmas.