Photoionization of atomic ions is a highly selective probe of atomic structure. A
powerful tool for exploring these interactions in the laboratory is photo-ion spectroscopy,
where a beam of ions is merged with a beam of monochromatized synchrotron radiation.
In the present proposal, a systematic study of absolute photoionization cross-section
measurements of select neutron-capture elements will take place at the Advanced Light
Source (ALS) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California. The
precision photoionization spectra that result are vital to the development of theories
of stellar evolution, which in-turn are essential to the understanding of the chemical
evolution of the Universe. Precision photoionization spectra are also the accepted
benchmarks against which the most advanced numerical atomic codes are tested, codes
which are used to accurately model the behavior of heavy and highly complex elements.
The ability to model such elements is instrumental in the ongoing development of both
theoretical and observational astrophysics. Of particular importance to both astronomers
and computational theorists is the energy-resolution of the photoionization spectra
they rely on. In that regard, the milli-electron-volt energy resolution of the Ion-Photon-Beam
Endstation at Beamline 10.0.1 of the ALS is unparalleled in the fields of UV and soft
X-ray spectroscopy. The proposed project therefore represents a unique opportunity
for one of Montana's leading universities to make significant contributions to some
of the most fundamental goals of NASA's ongoing scientific mission, while exposing
University of Montana students to a world-renowned research facility at one of our
country's leading laboratories.
Contact Info
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David Macaluso
Physics and Astronomy
University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812
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