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Radiation processes 2
We have discussed stellar spectra and classification on an empirical
basis:
Spectral sequence
O B A F G K M
Temperature
~40,000 K
---->
2500 K
Classification based on relative line strengths of He, H, Ca, metal,
molecular lines.
We will now look a little deeper at stellar spectra and what they tell
us about stellar atmospheres.
Radiative Transfer Equation
Imagine a beam of radiation of intensity I
of gas:
Power passing into volume
passing through a layer
Area
dA
E = I d dA d

Power passing out
of volume
E  + dE 
where I = intensity into
solid angle element d 
path length ds
NB in all these equations subscripts  can be replaced by 
In the volume of gas there is:
ABSORPTION - Power is reduced by amount proportional to
power
dE = -   E ds = -   I d dA d ds
where  is the ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT or OPACITY
= the cross-section for absorption of radiation of wavelength 
(frequency ) per unit mass of gas.
Units of  are m2 kg-1
The quantity  is the fraction of power in a beam of radiation of
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(NB in many texts 
equations given here - beware!)
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depth of gas. It has units of m-1.
in the
EMISSION - Power is increased by amount
dE = j  d dA d ds
(1)
where j = EMISSION COEFFICIENT = amount of energy emitted
per second per unit mass per unit wavelength into unit solid angle.
Units of j (j) are W kg-1µm-1sr-1 (W kg-1 Hz-1 sr-1) or m s-3sr-1
(NB power production per unit volume per unit wavelength into unit
solid angle is =j More confusion is possible here, since is also
the symbol used for total power output of a gas, units are W kg-1, Beware!)
So total change in power is
dE = dI d dA d = -   I d dA d ds + j  d dA d ds
which reduces to
dI = -   I ds + j  ds
dI
ds
= - I + j 
(2)
(3)
This is a form of the radiative transfer equation in the plane parallel case.
Optical depth
• Take a volume of gas which only absorbs radiation (j = 0) at  :
dI = -   I ds
For a depth of gas s, the fractional change in intensity is given by
I (s)
l
dI
ò I
I (0)
l
l
l
s
=
ò0 - k
l
r ds
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I (s)

ln (
Integrating ==>
I (0)
-3-
s
) = -

  ds
0

s
-
==>
I (s) = I (0) e

 ds
0

We define Optical Depth 
s

   ds



(4)
-

I (s) = I (0) e
So

(5)

• Intensity is reduced to 1/e (=1/2.718 = 0.37 ) of its original value if
optical depth 
• Optical depth is not a physical depth. A large optical depth can occur in
a short physical distance if the absorption coefficient  is large, or a large
physical distance if  is small.
Full Radiative Transfer Equation:
dIl
ds
= - kl r Il + jl r
divide by  
dI

 ds

= -I +

j



dI

d
= -I + S


(6)
As ds --> 0,  is constant over ds:
This is the RADIATIVE TRANSFER EQUATION in the plane parallel
case. Define:

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S =

where
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j


or
j =  S


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

S is the SOURCE FUNCTION.
Radiative transfer in a blackbody
• Remember definition of a blackbody as a perfect absorber and emitter of
radiation. Matter and radiation are in THERMODYNAMIC
EQUILIBRIUM, i.e. gross properties do not change with time.
Therefore a beam of radiation in a blackbody is constant:
dIl
= 0 = - kl r Il + jl r
ds
from definition of source function, j =  S
==> 0 =  (I - S),
i.e. I = S.
but for a blackbody I = B the PLANCK FUNCTION
2
B =

2hc

3
1
hc/kT
(e
- 1)
B =

2h
2
c
1
hkT
(e
- 1)
Summary: in complete thermodynamic equilibrium the source function
equals the Planck function,
i.e.
j =  B
(7)
(Kirchoff's Law).
• In studies of stellar atmospheres we make the assumption of LOCAL
THERMODYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM (LTE), i.e. thermodynamic
equilibrium for each particular layer of a star.
• Note that if incoming radiation at a particular wavelength (e.g. in a
spectral line) enters a blackbody gas it is absorbed, but emission is
distributed over all wavelengths according to the Planck function. All
information about the original energy distribution of the radiation is lost.
This is what happens in interior layers of a star where the density is high
and photons of any wavelength are absorbed in a very short distance.
Such a gas is said to be optically thick (see below).
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Emission and Absorption lines
•  the absorption coefficient describes the efficiency of absorption of
material in the volume of gas. In a low density gas, photons can
generally pass through without interaction with atoms unless they have
an energy corresponding to a particular transition (electron energy level
transition, or vibrational/rotational state transition in molecules). At this
particular energy/frequency/wavelength the absorption coefficient
 is large.
• Let's imagine the volume of gas shown earlier with both absorption and
emission:
I
I  (0)
path length s
dI

d
= S - I



Multiply both sides by e and re-arrange



e + I e = S e
dI

==>
d



d
==>
d


(I e ) = S e 



integrate over whole volume, i.e. from 0 to s, or 0 to 


I e

==>


=
0

S e


0
assuming S = constant along path
==> I e - I(0) = S e - S
==>
I
I(0) e- +
radiation left
over from light
=
S (1 - e- )
light from radiation
emitted in the
(8)
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entering box.
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box.
 >> 1: OPTICALLY THICK CASE
If  >> 1, then e- --> 0, and eqn (8) becomes I = S
(9)
In LTE S = B, the Planck function.
So for an optically thick gas, the emergent spectrum is the Planck
function, independent of composition or input intensity distribution.
True for stellar photosphere (the visible "surface" of a star).
• Case 1
 << 1 OPTICALLY THIN CASE
If  << 1, then e- ≈ 1 - 
(first two terms of Taylor series expansion)
eqn (8) becomes I = I(0) (1 - ) + S (1 - 1 + )
==>I = I(0) +  ( S - I(0) )
• Case 2
(10)
• If I(0) = 0 : no radiation entering the box (from direction of interest):
From eqn (8) I =  S (=  B in LTE)
Since  = ∫  , then
I =   s S
If  is large (true at wavelength of spectral lines) then I  is large, we see
EMISSION LINES. This happens for example in gaseous nebulae or
the solar corona when the Sun is eclipsed.
• If I(0) ≠ 0 , let's examine eqn (8)
I = I(0) +  ( S - I(0) )
CASE 1: If S > I(0) then right hand term is positive
when  is large (i.e.  is large) we see higher intensity than I(0)
==>
EMISSION LINES ON BACKGROUND INTENSITY.
CASE 2: If S < I(0) then right hand term is negative
when  is large (ie  is large) we see lower intensity than I(0)
==>
ABSORPTION LINES ON BACKGROUND INTENSITY.
For stars we see absorption lines. This means I(0) > S,
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i.e. intensity from deeper layers > source function for the top layers
Assuming LTE (S = B) the source function increases as temperature
increases: I(0) = B(Tdeep layer) > S = B(Touter layer).
Therefore temperature must be increasing as we go into the star for
absorption lines to be observed.
To summarise: 4 possibilities
1. We see CONTINUUM RADIATION for an optically thick gas
(= PLANCK FUNCTION assuming LTE).
2. We see EMISSION LINES for an optically thin gas.
3. We see ABSORPTION LINES + CONTINUUM for an optically
thick gas overlaid by optically thin gas with temperature
decreasing outwards.
4. We see EMISSION LINES + CONTINUUM for an optically thick
gas overlaid by an optically thin gas with temperature increasing
outwards.
Atomic Spectra - Absorption & Emission line series and
continua
• Bohr theory (last year's physics module) adequately describes
electron energy levels in Hydrogen. Quantum mechanics is
required for more massive atoms to describe the dynamics of
electrons. However, we are interested here only in the energy
levels of electron states rather than a detailed model or
description of atomic structure. We can therefore use ENERGY
LEVEL DIAGRAMS without worrying too much about the theory
behind them.
• There are 3 basic photon absorption mechanisms related to
electrons. Using Hydrogen as the example, the electron energy
levels are given by the principal quantum number n, as:
2 02 n2 ћ2
E(n) = - me e4
from Bohr Theory
The lowest energy level of H (n = 1) is about -13.6 eV.
The next energy level (n = 2) is
-3.4 eV.
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The third (n = 3) is
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-1.51 eV
Opacity. We first introduced the concept of opacity when deriving
the equation of radiative transport. Opacity is the resistance of
material to the flow of radiation, which in most stellar interiors is
determined by all the processes which scatter and absorb photons.
We will now look at each of these processes in turn, of which there
are four:




bound-bound absorption
bound-free absorption
free-free absorption
scattering
The first three are known as true absorption processes because
they involve the disappearance of a photon, whereas the fourth
process only alters the direction of a photon. All four processes are
described below and are shown pictorially in figure 1.
Figure 1 : Schematic energy level diagram showing the four microscopic
processes which contribute to opacity in stellar interiors.
Bound-bound absorption
Bound-bound absorptions occur when an electron is moved from one orbit
in an atom or ion into another orbit of higher energy due to the absorption
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of a photon. If the energy of the two orbits is E1 and E2, a photon of
frequency bb will produce a transition if
E2 - E1 = hbb.
Bound-bound processes are responsible for the lines visible in stellar
spectra, which are formed in the atmospheres of stars.
In stellar interiors, however, bound-bound processes are not of great
importance as most of the atoms are highly ionised and only a small
fraction contain electrons in bound orbits. In addition, most of the photons
in stellar interiors are so energetic that they are more likely to cause
bound-free absorptions, as described below.
Bound-free absorption
Bound-free absorptions involve the ejection of an electron from a bound
orbit around an atom or ion into a free hyperbolic orbit due to the
absorption of a photon. A photon of frequency bf will convert a bound
electron of energy E1 into a free electron of energy E3 if
E3 - E1 = hbf.
Provided the photon has sufficient energy to remove the electron from the
atom or ion, any value of energy can lead to a bound-free process.
Bound-free processes hence lead to continuous absorption in stellar
atmospheres. In stellar interiors, however, the importance of bound-free
processes is reduced due to the rarity of bound electrons.
Free-free absorption
Free-free absorption occurs when a free electron of energy E3 absorbs a
photon of frequency ff and moves to a state with energy E4, where
E4 - E3 = hff.
There is no restriction on the energy of a photon which can induce a freefree transition and hence free-free absorption is a continuous absorption
process which operates in both stellar atmospheres and stellar interiors.
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Note that, in both free-free and bound-free absorption, low energy photons
are more likely to be absorbed than high energy photons.
Scattering
In addition to the above absorption processes, it is also possible for a
photon to be scattered by an electron or an atom. One can think of
scattering as a collision between two particles which bounce of one
another. If the energy of the photon satisfies
h << mc2,
where m is the mass of the particle doing the scattering, the particle is
scarcely moved by the collision. In this case the photon can be imagined to
be bounced off a stationary particle. Although this process does not lead to
the true absorption of radiation, it does slow the rate at which energy
escapes from a star because it continually changes the direction of the
photons.
EXCITATION: Bound-Bound Transitions
• BOUND - BOUND transitions give rise to spectral lines.
• ABSORPTION LINE if a photon is absorbed, causing increase in energy
of an electron. Energy of absorbed photon:
h = E(nu) - E(nl)
(1)
where E(nu) and E(nl) are energies of upper and lower energy levels
respectively. This is RADIATIVE EXCITATION.
• Note energy can also be absorbed through collisions of a free particle
(COLLISIONAL EXCITATION) - no absorption line is seen in this
case.
• Atom remains in excited state until
SPONTANEOUS EMISSION (photon is emitted typically after ~10-8s)
or
INDUCED EMISSION (Photon emitted at same energy and coherently
with incoming photon - as in lasers – stimulated emission). Both produce
EMISSION LINES.

Narrow lines are seen since transitions can only occur if photon has
energy (frequency/wavelength) corresponding to difference in energy
levels
• Energy level diagram shows electron energy level changes for absorption
of a photon.
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Dr. S.F. Green
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Lowest energy level set to zero energy. 1eV = 1.6 x 10-19 J.
13.6 eV
n=
n=4
n=3
12.73 eV
12.07 eV
n=2
10.19 eV
n=1
Lyman
Series
Balmer Paschen
Series Series
0 eV
• Series of lines seen
-LYMAN-SERIES transitions to/from n=1 lines seen in UV
-BALMER-SERIES -"n=2
-“visual
-PASCHEN-SERIES -"n=3
-“.
infrared ...
ABSORPTION CONTINUUM: Bound-free transitions
• If photon has energy greater than that required to move an electron in an
atom from its current energy level to level n=∞, the electron will be
released, ionizing the atom.
• Ionization potential for Hydrogen is X =
• Energy of absorbed photon is
h = (X - E(nl)) + mev
n=
n=4
n=3
2
/2
(48)
1/2 mev 2
13.6 eV
12.73 eV
12.07 eV
n=2
10.19 eV
n=1
0 eV
• Since one of the states (free electron) can have any energy, the transition
can have any energy and the photon any frequency (above a certain value
determined by X and E(nl)).
Thus
BOUND-FREE
transitions
give
an
ABSORPTION
CONTINUUM.
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Dr. S.F. Green
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RE-COMBINATION is a FREE-BOUND transition and results in an
EMISSION CONTINUUM.
• The spectrum produced by absorption from a single energy level will
therefore appear as a series of lines of increasing energy
continuum  


(Increasing frequency, decreasing wavelength) up to a limit defined by XE(nl), with an absorption continuum shortward of this limit. The
characteristic of a bound-free transition in a
spectrum is an edge: no absorption below some energy, then a sharp
onset in the absorption above that critical energy. As we’ll see, the
absorption decreases above the critical energy.
• For nl=1 the Lyman series (Lyman- 121.57nm, Lyman- 102.57nm,
etc.) is observed together with the Lyman continuum shortward of
=91.2 nm. (Since interstellar space is populated by very low density
and low temperature hydrogen (i.e. with n=1), photons with <91.2nm
are easily absorbed so it is opaque in the near-UV).
For nl=2 the Balmer series (H 656.28nm, H 486.13nm, etc.) is
observed together with the Balmer continuum shortward of =364.7
nm.
Free-free transitions
• Absorption of a photon by a free electron in the vicinity of an ion.
Electron changes from free energy state with velocity v 1 to one with
velocity v2
i.e. h = 1/2 me v22 - 1/2 me v12
The term means that the inverse process “braking radiation” occurs when
an electron is accelerated by passage near an ion, and hence radiates.
Bremsstrahlung and free-free absorption are basic radiative processes that
show up in many contexts.
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Dr Dirk Froebrich
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When X-rays and gamma-rays are considered, we’ll talk about the more
general process of Compton scattering (heating the electrons) and inverse
Compton cooling.
Cyclotron and Synchrotron Radiation: When magnetic fields are present,
charges can interact with them and radiate or absorb radiation. For slowly
moving particles this happens at a single frequency, the cyclotron
frequency. For relativistically moving particles, the emission or absorption
occurs over a large range of frequencies, and is called in this case
synchrotron radiation.
Determination of 
• The actual spectrum of a star depends on the physical conditions
(notably temperature) and composition of the stellar atmosphere. The
intensity is produced at a physical level in the star where  ~ 2/3. In
order to determine the total spectrum, the value of  needs to be
determined at all wavelengths. The overall  is the sum of the
contributions from each atomic/molecular species in the atmosphere.
Each component of  depends on the number of atoms/molecules with
a given energy state capable of absorbing radiation at that frequency and
the absorption efficiency. We deal with the energy state populations first:
Boltzmann's equation (Excitation (thermal, xollisional) equilibrium)
• Boltzmann's equation describes the population distribution of energy
states for a particular atom in a gas. The ratio of number of atoms unit
volume (per m3) in energy state B to energy state A:
NB
NA
=
gB (EA - EB)/kT
e
gA
(50)
where gA and gB are STATISTICAL WEIGHTS (number of different
quantum states of the same energy), k = Boltzmann const and T =
temperature of gas.
EB > EA so exponential power is negative.
• The probability of finding an atom in an excited state decreases
exponentially with the energy of the excited state, but increases with
increasing temperature.
Saha Equation (Ionization Equilibrium)
• The Boltzmann equation does not describe all the possible atomic states.
Excitation may cause electrons to be lost completely. There are therefore
a number of different ionization states for a given atom, each of which
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Dr Dirk Froebrich
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has one or more energy states.
• The ratio of the number of atoms of ionization state i+1 to those of
ionization state i (i=I is neutral, i=II is singly ionized, etc) is given by
3/2
Ni+1
Ni
=
Ui+1 2
Ui Ne
2 me k T
2
h
-i /kT
e
where Ne is the electron density (number of electrons per m3), Xi is the
ionization potential of the i-th ionization state,
Ui+1 and Ui are PARTITION FUNCTIONS obtained from the statistical
weights:

Ui = gi 1 +

n =2
-Ei n /kT
gi n e
• The higher the Ionization Potential, Xi, the lower the fraction of atoms in
the upper ionization state.
The higher the Temperature, T, the higher the fraction of atoms in the
upper ionization state, (Collisional excitation is more likely to ionize
atom),
The higher the electron density, the lower the fraction of atoms in the
upper ionization state (due to re-combination).
• The Boltzmann and Saha Equations give the fraction of atoms in a given
ionization state and energy level allowing (when combined with
absorption/emission probabilities)  and hence the line strengths to be
related to abundances.
Example - Abundances in the Sun
• In line forming regions in the Sun:
Gas
Hydrogen
Calcium
T ~ 6000 K, Ne ~ 7x1019 m-3.
I
II
UII/UI UIII/UII
13.6 eV
2
6.1 eV 11.9 eV
~2
~0.5
g1
2
1
g2
2
6
Hydrogen:
From Saha Equation for Hydrogen, the ratio of ionized to un-ionized H
atoms
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Dr Dirk Froebrich
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NII/NI ≈ 6x10-5, i.e. most of Hydrogen is un-ionized.
From Boltzmann equation, ratio of number of atoms with electrons in level
n=2 to those in level n=1 (E1-E2 = -10.19 eV) is
N2/N1 ≈ 3x10-9, i.e almost all H atoms are in the ground state.
The H Balmer lines which originate from level n=2 are strong only
because the H abundance is so high.
Calcium:
Visible spectra of many stars, including the Sun, exhibit strong
emission lines of singly ionized calcium. Prominent among these
are the H-line at 3968.5 Å and the K line at 3933.7 Å of singly
ionized calcium, or Ca II. Why?
From Saha Equation for Calcium,
NII/NI ≈ 600 and NIII/NII ≈ 2x10-3
i.e. most of Calcium is in the singly ionized state.
From Boltzmann equation, ratio of number of atoms with electrons in
energy states which contribute to the H and K lines to those in the
ground state (E1-E2 = -3.15, -3.13 eV) is (NB/NA)II ≈ 10-2, i.e most
Ca atoms are in the ground state.
The H and K lines of Calcium are therefore strong because most Ca
atoms in the Sun are in an energy state capable of producing the lines.
• For stars cooler than the Sun more H is in the ground state so Balmer
lines will be weaker, for stars hotter than the Sun more H is in n=2 state
so Balmer lines will be stronger. (T ~ 85000 K needed for N2/N1 =1).
But at this temperature NII/NI = 105 so little remains un-ionized.
• Balmer line strength depends on excitation (function of T) and ionization
(function of T and Ne). Balance of effects occurs at T ~ 10,000 K so
Balmer lines are strongest in A0 stars.
• A similar effect occurs for other species but at different temperatures.
Transition probabilities
• Once we know the population of all energy states for a given gaseous
species we need to know the transition probabilities for each energy state
change before the absorption coefficient can be determined.
• The transition probabilities must be calculated from atomic theory or
determined by experiment - much time has been invested in this major
problem in astrophysics.
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Dr Dirk Froebrich
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• The EINSTEIN TRANSITION PROBABILITY (inverse of lifetime):
for spontaneous emission, A21 2
for stimulated emission
B21  -1
A12  -1
for absorption
Total 
• We can now calculate  for a given gaseous species. For Hydrogen
(removing spectral line opacities for clarity):
Lyman continuum
absorption
falls off with decreasing 

due to  -1 dependence
Log 
T~25000K (B star)
Balmer
continuum
absorption
Paschen
continuum
absorption
T~5000K (G star)
(nm)
• Similar diagrams exist for other species. The total  will be the sum for
all species in the star.
• The region of a star for which optical depth ~2/3 determines where
observed radiation originates. So if  is large, then  = 2/3 at a high
level in the atmosphere and if  is low,  = 2/3 deep in the
atmosphere.
Solar photospheric opacity
• The solar atmosphere is dominated by hydrogen. The visible surface, the
photosphere, has a temperature ~5800 K. However, as can be seen from
the diagram above,  for hydrogen at low temperatures is low in the
visible region (~400-700nm). This is because the continuum
absorption in the visible is due to Paschen absorption (electrons
originating in level n=3) and most hydrogen is in ground state or n=2
level. We would therefore expect the continuum to come from much
deeper in the sun where temperatures are higher. So what causes the
high solar photospheric opacity?
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Astrophysics
Dr Dirk Froebrich
17
The solar opacity comes from the H- ion. The ionization potential for
H- --> H + eis 0.75 eV (=1650nm).
N3/N1 = 6 x 10-10
N(H)/N(H-) ≈ 3 x 107
From Boltzmann eqn, for H:
But from Saha eqn
Therefore N(H-)/N3 ≈ 500.
Log kl
T~25000K (B star)
H - bound-free H - free-free
T~5000K (G star)
30
100
300
1000 l(nm)
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i.e. number of H- ions is greater than number of H atoms in level n=3, so
absorption of photons to dissociate H- to H dominates the continuum
absorption in the optical.
Limb darkening
• The Sun is less bright near the limb than at the centre of the disk.
 The continuum spectrum of the entire solar disk defines a StefanBoltzmann effective temperature of 5800 K for the photosphere, but
how does the temperature vary in the photosphere? A clue is evident in
a white-light photograph of the Sun.
 We see that the brightness of the solar disk decreases from the centre to
the limb - this effect is termed limb darkening.
Limb darkening arises because we see deeper, hotter gas layers when we
look directly at the centre of the disk and higher, cooler layers when we
look near the limb.
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Dr Dirk Froebrich
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Assume that we can see only a fixed distance d through the solar atmosphere. The limb appears darkened as the temperature decreases from the
lower to the upper photosphere because, according to the Stefan-Boltzmann
law (Section 8-6), a cool gas radiates less energy per unit area than does
a hot gas.
The top of the photosphere, or bottom of the chromosphere, is defined as
height = 0 km. Outward through the photosphere, the temperature drops
rapidly then again starts to rise at about 500 km into the chromosphere,
reaching very high temperatures in the corona.
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Dr Dirk Froebrich
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Formation of solar absorption lines. Photons with energies well away from
any atomic transition can escape from relatively deep in the photosphere,
but those with energies close to a transition are more likely to be
reabsorbed before escaping, so the ones we see on Earth tend to come from
higher, cooler levels in the solar atmosphere. The inset shows a close-up
tracing of two of the thousands of solar absorption lines, those produced by
calcium at about 395 nm.
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Dr Dirk Froebrich
21
At this point, you may have discerned an apparent paradox: how can the
solar limb appear darkened when the temperature rises rapidly through the
chromosphere? Answering this question requires an understanding of the
concepts of opacity and optical depth. Simply put, the chromosphere is
almost optically transparent relative to the photosphere. Hence, the Sun
appears to end sharply at its photospheric surface - within the outer 300 km
of its 700,000 km radius.
Our line of sight penetrates the solar atmosphere only to the depth from
which radiation can escape unhindered (where the optical depth is
small). Interior to this point, solar radiation is constantly absorbed and
re-emitted (and so scattered) by atoms and ions.
Spectral line formation
• Lines form higher in atmosphere than continuum. For optical lines this
corresponds to lower temperature than continuum and therefore lower
intensity (absorption lines) (see p18 where S < I).
k small
t~2/3 low in
atmosphere
6500
T (K)
k high
t~2/3 high in
atmosphere
4500
Fl
l
0
200
400 km
Height above photosphere
Spectral line strength
Spectral lines are never perfectly monochromatic. Quantum mechanical
considerations govern minimum line width, and many other processes
cause line broadening :
Shape of absorption line — line profile.
Natural broadening — consequence of uncertainty principle.
Doppler broadening — consequence of velocity distribution.
Pressure broadening — perturbation of energy levels by ions.
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• For abundance calculations we want to know the total line strength.
Total line strength is characterised by EQUIVALENT WIDTH.
� Equivalent width: measure strength of lines.
� Rectangle with same area as line, i.e. same amount of absorption.
� EW is width in °A across rectangle
� Need EW to determine number of absorbing atoms
Stellar composition
• Derived from spectral line strengths in stellar atmospheres. In the solar
neighbourhood, the composition of stellar atmospheres is:
Element H
He
C,N,O,Ne,Na,Mg,Al,Si,Ca,Fe, others
% mass 70
28
~2.
Spectral line structure
• NATURAL WIDTH: Due to uncertainty principle, E=h/t, applied to
lifetime of excited state. For "normal" lines the atom is excited (by a
photon or collision) to an excited state which has a short lifetime t ~
10-8 s. The upper energy level therefore has uncertain energy E and
the resultant spectral line (absorption or emission) has an uncertain
energy (wavelength). The line has a Lorentz profile,  ~ 10-5 nm for
visible light.
• COLLISIONAL/PRESSURE BROADENING:
Outer energy levels of atoms affected by presence of neighbouring
charged particles (ions and electrons). Random effects lead to line
broadening since the energy of upper energy level changes relative to the
unexcited state energy level. This is the basis of the Luminosity
classification for A,B stars. Gaussian profile.  ~ 0.02 - 2 nm.
• DOPPLER BROADENING:
Due to motions in gas producing the line. Doppler shift occurs for each
each photon emitted (or absorbed) since the gas producing the line is
moving relative to the observer (or gas producing the photon). Thermal
Doppler broadening due to motions of individual atoms in the gas. ~0.01
-0.02 nm for Balmer lines in the Sun. Gaussian profile. Bulk motions of
gas in convection cells. Gaussian profile.
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• ROTATION:
If there is no limb darkening, then lines have hemispherical profile due
to combination of radiation from surface elements with different radial
velocities. Effect depends on rotation rate, size of star and angle of polar
tilt. In general, v*sin(i) is derived from the profile.
_
V -1
(km s )
200
Receding
+V
A
Approaching
-V
B
C
F

A
B
o
C
100

0
O B A F G K
• ATMOSPHERIC OUTFLOW:
Many different types.
Star with expanding gas shell (result of outburst) gives P-CYGNI
PROFILE.
Continuum (+ absorption lines) from star, emission or absorption lines
from shell:
Radiation from star, A, passes through cooler cloud giving absorption
line due to shell material which is blue shifted relative to star.
Elsewhere, emission lines are seen.
Be STARS: Very rapid rotators with material lost from the equator:
Radiation from star, A, passes through cooler cloud giving absorption
line. Overall line structure is hemispherical rotation line (B,D). Emission
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lines seen due to shell material (C,E).
Forbidden lines
• Only certain transitions are generally seen for two reasons:
1) Outer energy levels are far from the nucleus so in dense gases, levels
are distorted or destroyed by interactions.
2) Selection rules for change of quantum numbers restrict possible
transitions.
• In fact forbidden transitions are not actually forbidden. However, the
probability of a forbidden transition is very low, so an allowed transition
will generally occur. The lifetimes in an excited state for which there are
no allowed downward transitions are ~10-3 - 109 seconds (i.e. very low
transition probability). These are called METASTABLE STATES.
• De-excitation from a metastable state can be by:
1) Collisional excitation, or absorption of another photon to higher
energy state allowing another downward transition to the equilibrium
state,
2) FORBIDDEN TRANSITION producing a FORBIDDEN LINE.
Usually denoted with [], e.g. [OII 731.99].
• Forbidden lines are usually much fainter than those from allowed
transitions due to low probability.
• In interstellar nebulae excited by UV from nearby hot stars, some
elements' excited states have no allowed downward transitions to the
ground state. In the absence of frequent collisions (due to low density)
or high photon flux, a forbidden transition is the only way to the
ground state.
• These lines were not understood for a long while. A new element
Nebulium was invented to account for them.
• “Forbidden lines are allowed in 99.999% of the Universe!”
Radiation Mechanisms
1. 21 cm
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Hydrogen gas is observed in a variety of states: in ionized, neutral atomic,
and molecular forms. The ionized hydrogen emits light in the visible band
as the electrons recombine with the protons and the neutral atomic and
molecular hydrogen emits light in the radio band of the electromagnetic
spectrum.
Most of the hydrogen in space (far from hot O and B-type stars) is in the
ground state. The electron moving around the proton can have a spin in the
same direction as the proton's spin (i.e., parallel) or spin in the direct
opposite direction as the proton's spin (i.e., anti-parallel). The energy state
of an electron spinning anti-parallel is slightly lower than the energy state
of a parallel-spin electron.
Remember that the atom always wants to be in the lowest energy state
possible, so the electron will eventually flip to the anti-parallel spin
direction if it was somehow knocked to the parallel spin direction. The
energy difference is very small, so a hydrogen atom can wait on average a
few million years before it undergoes this transition.
The two levels of the hydrogen 1s ground state, slightly split by the
interaction between the electron spin and the nuclear spin. The splitting
is known as hyperfine structure.
Even though this is a RARE transition, the large amount of hydrogen gas
means that enough hydrogen atoms are emitting the 21-cm line radiation at
any one given time to be easily detected with radio telescopes. Our galaxy,
the Milky Way, has about 3 billion solar masses of H I gas with about 70%
of it further out in the Galaxy than the Sun. Most of the H I gas is in disk
component of our galaxy and is located within 720 light years from the
midplane of the disk.
What's very nice is that 21-cm line radiation is not blocked by dust! The
21-cm line radiation provides the best way to map the structure of the
Galaxy.
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/quantum/h21.html
2. Thermal free-free or Bremsstrahlung emission
Another form of thermal emission comes from gas which has been ionized.
Atoms in the gas become ionized when their electrons become stripped or
dislodged. This results in charged particles moving around in an ionized
gas or "plasma", which is a fourth state of matter, after solid, liquid, and
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gas. As this happens, the electrons are accelerated by the charged particles,
and the gas cloud emits radiation continuously. This type of radiation is
called "free-free" emission or "bremsstrahlung".
3. Synchrotron radiation
Non-thermal emission does not have the characteristic signature curve of
blackbody radiation. In fact, it is quite the opposite, with emission
increasing at longer wavelengths.The most common form of non-thermal
emission found in astrophysics is called synchrotron emission. Basically,
synchrotron emission arises by the acceleration of charged particles within
a magnetic field. Most commonly, the charged particles are electrons.
Compared to protons, electrons have relatively little mass and are easier to
accelerate and can therefore more easily respond to magnetic fields.
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As the energetic electrons encounter a magnetic field, they spiral around it
rather than move across it. Since the spiral is continuously changing the
direction of the electron, it is in effect accelerating, and emitting radiation.
The frequency of the emission is directly related to how fast the electron is
traveling. This can be related to the initial velocity of the electron, or it can
be due to the strength of the magnetic field. A stronger field creates a
tighter spiral and therefore greater acceleration.
For this emission to be strong enough to have any astronomical value, the
electrons must be traveling at nearly the speed of light when they encounter
a magnetic field; these are known as "relativistic" electrons. (Lower-speed
interactions do happen, and are called cyclotron emission, but they are of
considerably lower power, and are virtually non-detectable astronomically).
As the electron travels around the magnetic field, it gives up energy as it
emits photons. The longer it is in the magnetic field, the more energy it
loses. As a result, the electron makes a wider spiral around the magnetic
field, and emits EM radiation at a longer wavelength. To maintain
synchrotron radiation, a continual supply of relativistic electrons is
necessary. Typically, these are supplied by very powerful energy sources
such as supernova remnants, quasars, or other forms of active galactic
nuclei (AGN).
It is important to note that, unlike thermal emission, synchrotron emission
is polarized. As the emitting electron is viewed side-on in its spiral motion,
it appears to move back-and-forth in straight lines. Its synchrotron emission
has its waves aligned in more or less the same plane. At visible
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wavelengths this phenomenon can be viewed with polarized lenses (as in
certain sunglasses, and in modern 3-D movie systems).
Synchrotron radiation is electromagnetic radiation, similar to cyclotron
radiation, but generated by the acceleration of ultrarelativistic (i.e., moving
near the speed of light) electrons through magnetic fields. This may be
achieved artificially by storage rings in a synchrotron, or naturally by fast
moving electrons moving through magnetic fields in space. The radiation
typically includes infrared, optical, ultraviolet, x-rays.
Synchrotron radiation is also generated by astronomical structures and
motions, typically where relativistic electrons spiral (and hence change
velocity) through magnetic fields. Two of its characteristics include (1)
Non-thermal radiation (2) Polarization.
4. inverse Compton radiation
Inverse Compton scattering is important in astrophysics. In X-ray
astronomy, the accretion disk surrounding a black hole is believed to
produce a thermal spectrum. The lower energy photons produced from this
spectrum are scattered to higher energies by relativistic electrons in the
surrounding corona. This is believed to cause the power law component in
the X-ray spectra (0.2-10 keV) of accreting black holes.
The effect is also observed when photons from the Cosmic microwave
background move through the hot gas surrounding a galaxy cluster. The
CMB photons are scattered to higher energies by the electrons in this gas,
resulting in the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect.
The Inverse Compton process boosts up synchrotron photons by means of
scattering against the high energy electrons. Since that the electrons that
scatter against the synchrotron photons, belong to the same seed of the
electrons that have produced the synchrotron photons, this process is also
called ``Self Synchrotron Compton'' or SSC
5. Masers
Another form of non-thermal emission comes from masers. A maser, which
stands for "microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation",
is similar to a laser (which amplifies radiation at or near visible
wavelengths). Masers are usually associated with molecules, and in space
masers occur naturally in molecular clouds and in the envelopes of old
stars. Maser action amplifies otherwise faint emission lines at a specific
frequency. In some cases the luminosity from a given source in a single
maser line can equal the entire energy output of the Sun from its whole
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Dr Dirk Froebrich
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spectrum.
Masers require that a group of molecules be pumped to an energized state
(labeled E2 in the diagram at right), like compressed springs ready to
uncoil. When the energized molecules are exposed to a small amount of
radiation at just the right frequency, they uncoil, dropping to a lower
energy level (labeled E1 in the diagram), and emit a radio photon. The
process entices other nearby molecules to do the same, and an avalanche of
emission ensues, resulting in the bright, monochromatic maser line. Masers
rely on an external energy source, such as a nearby, hot star, to pump the
molecules back into their excited state (E2), and then the whole process
starts again.
The first masers to be discovered came from the hydroxl radical (OH),
silicon oxide (SiO), and water (H2O). Other masers have been discovered
from molecules such as methanol (CH3OH), ammonia (NH3), and
formaldehyde (H2CO).