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D. W. Savin (Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory)
Reliably interpreting spectra from both photoionized and electron-ionized cosmic sources requires an accurate understanding of the ionization balance and the underlying atomic collision processes which produce the ionization structure. Uncertainties in ionization balance calculations hamper our ability to model cosmic sources and affect our ability to infer reliably their properties. Of particular importance are accurate rate coefficients for dielectronic recombination (DR). This is the dominant electron-ion recombination mechanism for most ions in both photoionized and electron-ionized plasmas. I will review some astrophysical implications due to current uncertainties in our understanding of DR and discuss our ongoing experimental and theoretical work aimed to remove these uncertainties.
This research is supported by a grant from the NASA Space Astrophysics Research and Analysis program.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #2
© 2005. The American Astronomical Soceity.