Triple photoionization of Xe3+, Xe4+ and Xe5+ ions has been studied in the energy range 670-750 eV, including the 3d ionization threshold. The photon-ion merged-beam technique was used at a synchrotron light source to measure the absolute photoioniza
tion cross sections. These cross sections exhibit a progressively larger number of sharp resonances as the ion charge state is increased. This clearly visualizes the re-ordering of the $epsilon$f continuum into a regular series of (bound) Rydberg orbitals as the ionic core becomes more attractive. The energies and strengths of the resonances are extracted from the experimental data and are further analyzed by relativistic atomic-structure calculations.
We present new experimentally measured and theoretically calculated rate coefficients for the electron-ion recombination of W$^{18+}$([Kr] $4d^{10}$ $4f^{10}$) forming W$^{17+}$. At low electron-ion collision energies, the merged-beam rate coefficien
t is dominated by strong, mutually overlapping, recombination resonances. In the temperature range where the fractional abundance of W$^{18+}$ is expected to peak in a fusion plasma, the experimentally derived Maxwellian recombination rate coefficient is 5 to 10 times larger than that which is currently recommended for plasma modeling. The complexity of the atomic structure of the open-$4f$-system under study makes the theoretical calculations extremely demanding. Nevertheless, the results of new Breit-Wigner partitioned dielectronic recombination calculations agree reasonably well with the experimental findings. This also gives confidence in the ability of the theory to generate sufficiently accurate atomic data for the plasma modeling of other complex ions.
Rate coefficients for photorecombination (PR) and cross sections for electron-impact ionization (EII) of Fe$^{14+}$ forming Fe$^{13+}$ and Fe$^{15+}$, respectively, have been measured by employing the electron-ion merged-beams technique at a heavy-io
n storage ring. Rate coefficients for PR and EII of Fe$^{14+}$ ions in a plasma are derived from the experimental measurements. Simple parametrizations of the experimentally derived plasma rate coefficients are provided for use in the modeling of photoionized and collisionally ionized plasmas. In the temperature ranges where Fe$^{14+}$ is expected to form in such plasmas the latest theoretical rate coefficients of Altun et al. [Astron. Astrophys. 474, 1051 (2007)] for PR and of Dere [Astron. Astrophys. 466, 771 (2007)] for EII agree with the experimental results to within the experimental uncertainties. Common features in the PR and EII resonance structures are identified and discussed.
The photon-ion merged-beams technique has been employed at the new Photon-Ion spectrometer at PETRA III (PIPE) for measuring multiple photoionization of Xe$^{q+}$ (q=1-5) ions. Total ionization cross sections have been obtained on an absolute scale f
or the dominant ionization reactions of the type h u + Xe$^{q+}$ $to$ Xe$^{r+}$ + (q-r) e$^-$ with product charge states q+2 $le$ r $le$ q+5. Prominent ionization features are observed in the photon-energy range 650-750 eV, which are associated with excitation or ionization of an inner-shell 3d electron. Single-configuration Dirac-Fock calculations agree quantitatively with the experimental cross sections for non-resonant photoabsorption, but fail to reproduce all details of the measured ionization resonance structures.
The hyperfine induced 2s 2p 3P0 -> 2s2 1S0 transition rate in Be-like sulfur was measured by monitoring the decay of isotopically pure beams of 32-S12+ and 33-S12+ ions in a heavy-ion storage ring. Within the 4% experimental uncertainty the experimen
tal value of 0.096(4)/s agrees with the most recent theoretical results of Cheng et al. [Phys. Rev. A 77, 052504 (2008)] and Andersson et al. [Phys. Rev. A 79, 032501 (2009)]. Repeated experiments with different magnetic fields in the storage-ring bending magnets demonstrate that artificial quenching of the 2s 2p 3P0 state by these magnetic fields is negligible.
Dielectronic recombination (DR) of xenonlike W20+ forming W19+ has been studied experimentally at a heavy-ion storage-ring. A merged-beams method has been employed for obtaining absolute rate coefficients for electron-ion recombination in the collisi
on energy range 0-140 eV. The measured rate coefficient is dominated by strong DR resonances even at the lowest experimental energies. At plasma temperatures where the fractional abundance of W20+ is expected to peak in a fusion plasma, the experimentally derived plasma recombination rate coefficient is over a factor of 4 larger than the theoretically-calculated rate coefficient which is currently used in fusion plasma modeling. The largest part of this discrepancy stems most probably from the neglect in the theoretical calculations of DR associated with fine-structure excitations of the W20+([Kr] 4d10 4f8) ion core.
