Mean Opacity Research Articles

Broadening effects on opacity calculation of CH plasmas

Opacity is a function of the temperature and electron density of plasma. The plasma density can be determined by measurements of Stark-broadened K-shell spectral lines. The purpose of this work is to obtain a more detailed structure of opacity with regard to broadening effects. For this aim, the opacity frequency dependency and mean opacity of mixed plasmas are calculated under local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions. The LTE state in inertial confinement fusion occurs when the collisional deexcitation rate from the upper level to the lower level greatly exceeds the spontaneous decay rate. Since the thermal radiation can be absorbed by the CH-ablator, by studying the behavior of the CH Polystyrene opacity, one can obtain the temperature and density of the plasma in investigations of matter found in stellar interiors, inertial fusion implosions, and Z pinches as a diagnostic technique. The main aspect of diagnostic application is spectrum broadening. The final results show that the Stark-broadened line shape is dependent on the density. Also, it is shown that the resonance peak and spectrum broadening of the opacity spectrum of a mixed plasma such as the CH-plasma is larger than a single atom plasma such as Carbon.

Rosseland and Flux Mean Opacities for Compton Scattering

Abstract Rosseland mean opacity plays an important role in theories of stellar evolution and X-ray burst models. In the high-temperature regime, when most of the gas is completely ionized, the opacity is dominated by Compton scattering. Our aim here is to critically evaluate previous works on this subject and to compute the exact Rosseland mean opacity for Compton scattering over a broad range of temperature and electron degeneracy parameter. We use relativistic kinetic equations for Compton scattering and compute the photon mean free path as a function of photon energy by solving the corresponding integral equation in the diffusion limit. As a byproduct we also demonstrate the way to compute photon redistribution functions in the case of degenerate electrons. We then compute the Rosseland mean opacity as a function of temperature and electron degeneracy and present useful approximate expressions. We compare our results to previous calculations and find a significant difference in the low-temperature regime and strong degeneracy. We then proceed to compute the flux mean opacity in both free-streaming and diffusion approximations, and show that the latter is nearly identical to the Rosseland mean opacity. We also provide a simple way to account for the true absorption in evaluating the Rosseland and flux mean opacities.

On possible explanations of pulsations in Maia stars

The long-time photometric surveys in a few young open clusters allowed to identify the light variability in stars located on the HR diagram between the well defined $\delta$ Scuti variables and Slowly Pulsating B-type stars. Several objects of this type were suggested also from the analysis of the Kepler data. Assuming the pulsational origin of this variability, we try to explain the observed frequencies with pulsational models involving rotation and/or modification of the mean opacity profile.

Inference for stellar opacities from seismic studies of the hybrid β Cep/SPB pulsators

We present a comprehensive seismic study of the three pulsating stars of $\beta$ Cep/SPB type: $\nu$ Eridani, 12 Lacertae and $\gamma$ Pegasi. Models with the modified mean opacity profile are constructed in order to account for both the observed frequency range and the values of some individual frequencies. To decrease the number of possible solutions, we make use of the non-adiabatic parameter $f$, whose value is very sensitive to subphotospheric layers where pulsations are driven. This complex seismic modelling show the need for a significant modification of the opacity profile.

Interpretation of the BRITE oscillation data of the hybrid pulsator ν Eridani: a call for the modification of stellar opacities

The analysis of the BRIght Target Explorer (BRITE) oscillation spectrum of the main-sequence early B-type star ν Eridani is presented. Only models with the modified mean opacity profile can account for the observed frequency ranges as well as for the values of some individual frequencies. The number of the κ-modified seismic models is constrained by the non-adiabatic parameter f, which is very sensitive to the opacity changes in the subphotospheric layers, where the pulsations are driven. We present an example of the model that satisfies all the above conditions. It seems that the oplib opacities are preferred over those from the opal and op projects. Moreover, we discuss additional consequences of the opacity modification, namely, an enhancement of the efficiency of convection in the Z bump as well as an occurrence of close radial modes which is a kind of avoided-crossing phenomenon common for non-radial modes in standard main-sequence models.

IRON OPACITY BUMP CHANGES THE STABILITY AND STRUCTURE OF ACCRETION DISKS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

ABSTRACT Accretion disks around supermassive black holes have regions where the Rosseland mean opacity can be larger than the electron scattering opacity due to the large number of bound–bound transitions in iron. We study the effects of this iron opacity “bump” on the thermal stability and vertical structure of radiation-pressure-dominated accretion disks, utilizing three-dimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations in the local shearing box approximation. The simulations self-consistently calculate the heating due to MHD turbulence caused by magneto-rotational instability and radiative cooling by using the radiative transfer module based on a variable Eddington tensor in Athena. For a 5 × 108 solar mass black hole with ∼3% of the Eddington luminosity, a model including the iron opacity bump maintains its structure for more than 10 thermal times without showing significant signs of thermal runaway. In contrast, if only electron scattering and free–free opacity are included as in the standard thin disk model, the disk collapses on the thermal timescale. The difference is caused by a combination of (1) an anti-correlation between the total optical depth and the midplane pressure, and (2) enhanced vertical advective energy transport. These results suggest that the iron opacity bump may have a strong impact on the stability and structure of active galactic nucleus (AGN) accretion disks, and may contribute to a dependence of AGN properties on metallicity. Since this opacity is relevant primarily in UV emitting regions of the flow, it may help to explain discrepancies between observation and theory that are unique to AGNs.

Large Enhancement in High-Energy Photoionization of Fe XVII and Missing Continuum Plasma Opacity.

Aimed at solving the outstanding problem of solar opacity, and radiation transport plasma models in general, we report substantial photoabsorption in the high-energy regime due to atomic core photoexcitations not heretofore considered. In extensive R-matrix calculations of unprecedented complexity for an important iron ion Fe xvii (Fe^{16+}), with a wave function expansion of 99 Fe xviii (Fe^{17+}) LS core states from n≤4 complexes (equivalent to 218 fine structure levels), we find (i)up to orders of magnitude enhancement in background photoionization cross sections, in addition to strongly peaked photo-excitation-of-core resonances not considered in current opacity models, and ii) demonstrate convergence with respect to successive core excitations. The resulting increase in the monochromatic continuum, and 35% in the Rosseland mean opacity, are compared with the "higher-than-predicted" iron opacity measured at the Sandia Z-pinch fusion device at solar interior conditions.

SOLAR OPACITY CALCULATIONS USING THE SUPER-TRANSITION-ARRAY METHOD

ABSTRACT A new opacity model has been developed based on the Super-Transition-Array (STA) method for the calculation of monochromatic opacities of plasmas in local thermodynamic equilibrium. The atomic code, named STAR (STA-Revised), is described and used to calculate spectral opacities for a solar model implementing the recent AGSS09 composition. Calculations are carried out throughout the solar radiative zone. The relative contributions of different chemical elements and atomic processes to the total Rosseland mean opacity are analyzed in detail. Monochromatic opacities and charge-state distributions are compared with the widely used Opacity Project (OP) code, for several elements near the radiation–convection interface. STAR Rosseland opacities for the solar mixture show a very good agreement with OP and the OPAL opacity code throughout the radiation zone. Finally, an explicit STA calculation was performed of the full AGSS09 photospheric mixture, including all heavy metals. It was shown that, due to their extremely low abundance, and despite being very good photon absorbers, the heavy elements do not affect the Rosseland opacity.

IPOPv2 online service for the generation of opacity tables

In the framework of the present phase – IPOPv2 – of the international Opacity Project (OP), a new web service has been implemented based on the latest release of the OP opacities. The user may construct online opacity tables to be conveniently included in stellar evolution codes in the format most commonly adopted by stellar physicists, namely the OPAL format. This facility encourages the use and comparison of both the OPAL and OP data sets in applications. The present service allows for the calculation of multi-element mixtures containing the 17 species (H, He, C, N, O, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si, S, Ar, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe and Ni) considered by the OP, and underpins the latest release of OP opacities. This new service provides tables of Rosseland mean opacites using OP atomic data. We provide an alternative to the OPAL opacity services allowing direct comparison as well as study of the effect of uncertainties in stellar modeling due to mean opacities.

FIRST NEW SOLAR MODELS WITH OPAS OPACITY TABLES

Stellar seismology appears more and more as a powerful tool for a better determination of the fundamental properties of solar-type stars. However the particular case of Sun is still challenging. The helioseismic sound speed determination continues to disagree with the Standard Solar Model (SSM) prediction for about a decade, questioning the reliability of this model. One of the sources of uncertainty could be in the treatment of the transport of radiation from the solar core to the surface. In this letter, we use the new OPAS opacity tables, recently available for solar modelling, to address this issue. We discuss first the peculiarities of these tables, then we quantify their impact on the solar sound speed and density profiles using the reduced OPAS tables taken on the grids of the OPAL ones. We use the two evolution codes MESA and CLES that led to similar conclusions in the solar radiative zone. In comparison to commonly used OPAL opacity tables, the new solar models computed, for the most recent photospheric composition, with OPAS tables present improvements in the location of the base of the convective zone and in the description of the solar radiative zone in comparison to the helioseismic observations, even if the differences in the Rosseland mean opacity do not exceed 6 %. We finally carry out a comparison to a solar model computed with the OP opacity tables.

Ionization competition effects on population distribution and radiative opacity of mixture plasmas

Ionization competition arising from the electronic shell structures of various atomic species in the mixture plasmas was investigated, taking SiO2 as an example. Using a detailed-level-accounting approximation, we studied the competition effects on the charge state population distribution and spectrally resolved and Planck and Rosseland mean radiative opacities of mixture plasmas. A set of coupled equations for ionization equilibria that include all components of the mixture plasmas are solved to determine the population distributions. For a given plasma density, competition effects are found at three distinct temperature ranges, corresponding to the ionization of M-, L-, and K-shell electrons of Si. Taking the effects into account, the spectrally resolved and Planck and Rosseland mean opacities are systematically investigated over a wide range of plasma densities and temperatures. For a given mass density, the Rosseland mean decreases monotonically with plasma temperature, whereas Planck mean does not. Although the overall trend is a decrease, the Planck mean increases over a finite intermediate temperature regime. A comparison with the available experimental and theoretical results is made.

The impact of enhanced iron opacity on massive star pulsations: updated instability strips

Abstract Recently, Bailey et al. made a direct measurement of the iron opacity at the physical conditions of the solar tachocline. They found that the wavelength-integrated iron opacity is roughly 75 per cent higher than what the Opacity Project (OP) and OPAL models predict. Here, we compute new opacity tables with enhanced iron and nickel contributions to the Rosseland mean opacity by 75 per cent each, and compute three dense mesa grids of evolutionary models for Galactic O- and B-type stars covering from 2.5 to 25 M⊙ from zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) until Teff = 10 000 K after the core hydrogen exhaustion. We carry out non-adiabatic mode stability analysis with gyre, and update the extension of the instability strips of heat-driven p- and g-mode pulsators, and the hybrid slowly pulsating B (SPB) - β Cep stars. We compare the position of two confirmed late O-type β Cep and eight confirmed hybrid B-type pulsators with the new instability domains, and justify that ∼75 per cent enhancement, only in iron opacity, is sufficient to consistently reproduce the observed position of these stars on the log Teff versus log g plane. We propose that this improvement in opacities be incorporated in the input physics of new stellar models.

Electrical and optical properties of warm dense beryllium along the principal Hugoniot

The electrical and optical properties of warm dense beryllium along the principal Hugoniot for temperatures from 0.95 eV to 10.65 eV and densities from 3.8 to 6.0 g/cm3 are investigated by using quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations combined with the Kubo-Greenwood formulation. The dc conductivity σdc and the ionization fraction are yielded by fitting the optical conductivity with the Drude-Smith model. The first-principles transport coefficients are compared with results of the Lee-More model and the Brysk model [Plasma Phys. 17, 473 (1975)]. Compared with the QMD result, the Lee-More model underestimates σdc by 87% at low temperatures, approaches the QMD result gradually with the temperature rising, yet still underestimates σdc by 49% corresponding to the temperature 10.65 eV. In the whole temperature range under investigation, the Brysk model overestimates the electronic thermal conductivity κ while the Lee-More model underestimates κ. The differences are reduced with the temperature increasing. At the temperature 10.65 eV, the Brysk κ is still around twice as large as the QMD result, and the Lee-More κ is smaller than the QMD data by about 40%. In addition, QMD Rosseland mean opacities are shown to be three orders of magnitude larger than results of the average-atom model.

Wider pulsation instability regions forβCephei and SPB stars calculated using new Los Alamos opacities

Aims. Our goal is to test the newly developed OPLIB opacity tables from Los Alamos National Laboratory and check their influence on the pulsation properties of B-type stars.Methods. We calculated models using MESA and Dziembowski codes for stellar evolution and linear, nonadiabatic pulsations, respectively. We derived the instability domains of β Cephei and SPB-types for different opacity tables OPLIB, OP, and OPAL.Results. The new OPLIB opacities have the highest Rosseland mean opacity coefficient near the so-called Z -bump. Therefore, the OPLIB instability domains are wider than in the case of OP and OPAL data.

Microscopic properties of xenon plasmas for density and temperature regimes of laboratory astrophysics experiments on radiative shocks.

This work is divided into two parts. In the first one, a study of radiative properties (such as monochromatic and the Rosseland and Planck mean opacities, monochromatic emissivities, and radiative power loss) and of the average ionization and charge state distribution of xenon plasmas in a range of plasma conditions of interest in laboratory astrophysics and extreme ultraviolet lithography is performed. We have made a particular emphasis in the analysis of the validity of the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium and the influence of the atomic description in the calculation of the radiative properties. Using the results obtained in this study, in the second part of the work we have analyzed a radiative shock that propagated in xenon generated in an experiment carried out at the Prague Asterix Laser System. In particular, we have addressed the effect of plasma self-absorption in the radiative precursor, the influence of the radiation emitted from the shocked shell and the plasma self-emission in the radiative precursor, the cooling time in the cooling layer, and the possibility of thermal instabilities in the postshock region.

Clinical characteristics of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients with gender, age, and physiology staging at Okinawa Chubu Hospital.

Gender, age, and physiology (GAP) staging was recently advocated for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, clinical findings of GAP staging for IPF are limited. We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of IPF patients according to GAP staging in our hospital. We retrospectively reviewed patient medical records and chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images from June 1, 2002, to December 31, 2012. We identified 54 IPF patients with [36 men; mean age: 71 years (range, 53-85 years)]. Mean fibrosis and ground glass opacity (GGO) scores were 1.9 (0-4) and 1.6 (1-3.3), respectively. Mean percent predicted forced vital capacity (% FVC), percent predicted diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (% DLco) were 70.6 (6.4-114.3), 49.2 (15-105.9), respectively. Cox proportional hazards model showed that gender, percent predicted diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (% DLco), and composite physiologic index (CPI) were strong predictors of mortality. Stage III patients had more pulmonary hypertension (50% vs. 23%, 0%) and progressive modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) changes at 1 year (1.3 vs. 0.6, 1.1; P=0.07) compared with other stages. In our cohort, GAP staging was useful for evaluating IPF severity. Stage III patients might had more pulmonary hypertension and progressive dyspnea. Multicenter analyses are warranted to confirm these findings.

Analysis of late-time light curves of Type IIb, Ib and Ic supernovae

The shape of the light curve peak of radioactive--powered core--collapse "stripped--envelope" supernovae constrains the ejecta mass, nickel mass, and kinetic energy by the brightness and diffusion time for a given opacity and observed expansion velocity. Late--time light curves give constraints on the ejecta mass and energy, given the gamma--ray opacity. Previous work has shown that the principal light curve peaks for SN~IIb with small amounts of hydrogen and for hydrogen/helium--deficient SN~Ib/c are often rather similar near maximum light, suggesting similar ejecta masses and kinetic energies, but that late--time light curves show a wide dispersion, suggesting a dispersion in ejecta masses and kinetic energies. It was also shown that SN~IIb and SN~Ib/c can have very similar late--time light curves, but different ejecta velocities demanding significantly different ejecta masses and kinetic energies. We revisit these topics by collecting and analyzing well--sampled single--band and quasi--bolometric light curves from the literature. We find that the late--time light curves of stripped--envelope core--collapse supernovae are heterogeneous. We also show that the observed properties, the photospheric velocity at peak, the rise time, and the late decay time, can be used to determine the mean opacity appropriate to the peak. The opacity determined in this way is considerably smaller than common estimates. We discuss how the small effective opacity may result from recombination and asymmetries in the ejecta.

On the modified random walk algorithm for Monte-Carlo radiation transfer(Corrigendum)

∞0 Bν(T ) χν dν ∞ 0 B ν(T )d ν · (1) This equation is correct, but the ratio of the integrals was referred to as “the inverse of the Rosseland mean mass extinction coefficient”. This is incorrect, because the Rosseland mean opacity includes dBν(T )/dT terms rather than Bν(T ). Instead, the ratio of the integrals is the inverse of the Planck reciprocal mean mass extinction coefficient (in line with the terminology used by Fleck & Canfield 1984). We can write this mean mass extinction coefficient as:

A higher-than-predicted measurement of iron opacity at solar interior temperatures.

Nearly a century ago it was recognized that radiation absorption by stellar matter controls the internal temperature profiles within stars. Laboratory opacity measurements, however, have never been performed at stellar interior conditions, introducing uncertainties in stellar models. A particular problem arose when refined photosphere spectral analysis led to reductions of 30-50 per cent in the inferred amounts of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen in the Sun. Standard solar models using the revised element abundances disagree with helioseismic observations that determine the internal solar structure using acoustic oscillations. This could be resolved if the true mean opacity for the solar interior matter were roughly 15 per cent higher than predicted, because increased opacity compensates for the decreased element abundances. Iron accounts for a quarter of the total opacity at the solar radiation/convection zone boundary. Here we report measurements of wavelength-resolved iron opacity at electron temperatures of 1.9-2.3 million kelvin and electron densities of (0.7-4.0)×10(22) per cubic centimetre, conditions very similar to those in the solar region that affects the discrepancy the most: the radiation/convection zone boundary. The measured wavelength-dependent opacity is 30-400 per cent higher than predicted. This represents roughly half the change in the mean opacity needed to resolve the solar discrepancy, even though iron is only one of many elements that contribute to opacity.

Opacities and spectra of hydrogen atmospheres of moderately magnetized neutron stars

There is observational evidence that central compact objects (CCOs) in supernova remnants have moderately strong magnetic fields $B\sim10^{11}$ G. Meanwhile, available models of partially ionized hydrogen atmospheres of neutron stars with strong magnetic fields are restricted to $B\gtrsim10^{12}$ G. We extend the equation of state and radiative opacities, presented in previous papers for $10^{12}\mbox{ G}\lesssim B \lesssim 10^{15}$ G, to weaker fields. An equation of state and radiative opacities for a partially ionized hydrogen plasma are obtained at magnetic fields $B$, temperatures $T$, and densities $\rho$ typical for atmospheres of CCOs and other isolated neutron stars with moderately strong magnetic fields. The first- and second-order thermodynamic functions, monochromatic radiative opacities, and Rosseland mean opacities are calculated and tabulated, taking account of partial ionization, for $3\times10^{10}\mbox{ G}\lesssim B\lesssim 10^{12}$ G, $10^5$ K $\lesssim T\lesssim 10^7$ K, and a wide range of densities. Atmosphere models and spectra are calculated to verify the applicability of the results and to determine the range of magnetic fields and effective temperatures where the incomplete ionization of the hydrogen plasma is important.