Microphysics

 
and  NLTE  
 Equation of state (EOS)
—  When  solving  a  set  of  HD  equation  we  will  get  some  
thermodynamic  quantities  of  gas:  e.g.  pressure  and  
internal  energy  (temperature).  How  does  one  get  
from  here  to  the  absorption/emission?  
—  The  total  absorption  in  a  unit  volume  is  given  by:  
  X
sp
  ↵ ⌫ = ↵ ⌫ · nsp
  species
where  nsp  is  the  number  density  of  a  species.  
—  The  source  function  is  evaluated  in  a  similar  way:  
X X
S⌫ = J ⌫ · (1 ✏sp
⌫ ) · nsp + B⌫ (T ) · ✏sp
⌫ · nsp
species species
Molecular-­‐ioniza-on  equilibrium  
—  What  do  we  know?  P,  T,  abundances  
 
—  What  else  can  assume  in  equilibrium?  For  chemical  
reactions  the  reactants  and  the  product  are  in  balance  
controlled  by  the  temperature.  The  same  is  true  for  
ionization.  
 
—  We  can  also  assume  change  neutrality  
 Expressing  what  we  know  as  equa-ons  
—  Abundances  (if    Z        n    A        n    tot
     A      =      )  
 
 
∑ P (n
sp
sp
sp
A −Z n sp
A tot )=0
     sp
—  Particle  conservation  (q      is  charge)  
  P 1 q sp
= Pgas ( )
∑ sp +
  sp

—  Charge  neutrality  

sp
∑ sp = Pelec
P
sp
q

February 5, 2015 3D Radiative Transport

 For  low  temperatures  (Pelec << Pgas)  
—  Abundances  
Rsp
 ∑ e ( nAsp − Z A ntot
sp
=0 )
sp
—  Particle  conservation  
  ⎡ Rsp ⎤
sp
ln ⎢∑ e 1 + q ⎥ = ln Pgas
  ⎣ sp
( )
⎦
—  Charge  neutrality  
  ln ⎛ ⎞ Rsp sp
⎜ ∑ e q ⎟ = ln Pelec
  ⎝ sp ⎠
                                                           where     Rsp = ln Psp
February 5, 2015 3D Radiative Transport
 The  expression  for  par-al  pressures  
—  Equilibrium  for  two  atoms  and  more  
 
PA · PB sp Psp+ · Pe
= Kp (T ); = Ipsp (T )
  PAB Psp
Q nsp
  PA A qsp
A sp P sp +... · P e
= Kp (T ); = Ipsp (T )
Psp Psp
—  For  “high”  temperatures  (>2000  K)  
Ip(T ) qsp
Y nsp
  Psp = Pe PA A
Kp(T )
  A
—  For  “low”  temperatures  (<2000  K)  
X sp
Rsp = log Ip(T ) log Kp(T ) qsp log Pe + nA log PA
February 5, 2015 3D Radiative Transport
A
 …  and  what  are  these  Kp’s  and  Ip’s?  

—  Chemical  equilibrium  constant:  

 
  ✓ ◆3/2 ✓ ◆3/2
2⇡T mA · mB · ... UA · UB · ... Dsp
Kp(T   ) = kT 2
e kT
h msp Usp
 
 
—  Ionization  equilibrium  constant:  
✓ ◆3/2
2⇡T 3/2 2 · Usp+ Isp
Ip(T ) = kT me · e kT
h2 Usp
 Let’s  count  equa-ons  and  unknowns  
—  First,  what  are  the  unknowns?  
PA  and  Pe-­‐  
—  How  many  unknowns?  
NA+1  
—  How  many  equations?  
NA  for  abundances  +  total  pressure  +  charge  
conservations  =  NA+2!  
—  Help!  
 Solving  the  EOS  

—  Equations  are  non-­‐linear  so  we  need  to  use  Newton-­‐
Raphson.  
—  Remember  that  N-­‐R  requires  the  initial  guess  on  the  
same  “slope”  where  the  solution  is.  
—  Here  is  an  elegant  way  of  getting  one:  
1.  Construct  PA’s  using  simply  abundances  
2.  Compute  total  pressure  
3.  If  it’s  too  small  –  scale  up  all  PA’s;  too  large  –  scale  
them  down  and  repeat  2.  
4.  Stop,  when  approximately  matching  
 Sta-s-cal  equilibrium  equa-on  
—  Now  that  we  know  partial  pressures  for  all  absorbers  
all  we  need  to  compute  opacities  is  level  populations.  
—  Normally  we  assume  equilibrium  populations  given  
by  the  Boltzmann  distribution.  
—  This  may  not  be  a  good  guess  in  several  situations  or/
and  for  specific  transitions  
—  In  the  following  we  will  relax  this  assumption  and  
compute  consistent  level  populations    
Transi-on  processes  
     Two  types  of  interaction  make  a  particle  to  
“move”  between  energy  levels:  interaction  with  
radiation  and  collisions  with  other  particles.  
Thus  we  can  split  the  expression  for  the  rates  
into  radiative  rates  and  collisional  rates:  
 
Pij = Rij + Cij
 
Radiative  processes  include  absorption,  
emission  and  stimulated  emission  in  b-­‐b  and  b-­‐f  
transitions.  Collisional  processes  include  non-­‐
elastic  collisions.  
 
Transi-on  rates  (cont’d)  
—  Radiative  rates  can  be  expressed  through  Einstein  
probabilities:  
 
Bij”
 
 
 
Bij’ Aij’
 
 
—  Computational  recipes  for  non-­‐elastic  collisions  
exist  but  are  not  very  reliable  L  
Sta-s-cal  Equilibrium  
dni
     Equation  of  statistical  equilibrium                  =      0    :  
  dt
ni ∑ ( Rij + Cij ) = ∑ n j ( R ji + C ji )
  j ≠i j ≠i
or  substituting  the  expression  for  the  rates:  
  ⎡ n A − n B − n B J ⎤ −
(
∑   ⎣ i ij j ji i ij ij ⎦ )
j <i
 
( )
∑   ⎡⎣n j A ji − ni Bij − n j B ji Jij ⎤⎦ + ∑ niCij − n jC ji = 0 ( )
j >   i j
or  reformulating  this  as  a  SLE:  
 
An = 0
Ø If  all  collisional  and  radiative  rates  are  known  
from  calculations  or  measurements  and  we  also  
know  the  radiation  field,  we  can  solve  this  SLE  
and  derive  level  populations.  
Ø We  have  M-­‐1  independent  equations  (the  sum  of  
all  equations  is  a  trivial  equality),  therefore,  we  
can  only  derive  the  relative  level  populations  (e.g.  
fractions  of  the  total  number  of  atoms  seating  on  
each  level):  
  n∗ = n ∑ ni = n j Nspecies
j j
  i
and  the  additional  equation  will  be:  
      M

∑n
i =1
i
∗
=1
Strong UV absorption by the NLTE lines of Si II in an A0 star
 Ca I 6439Å
1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2
Sun
LTE
NLTE
0.0
6438.6 6438.8 6439.0 6439.2 6439.4