Atomic Data Assessment with PyNeb: Radiative and Electron Impact Excitation Rates for [Fe ii] and [Fe iii]

Abstract

We use the PyNeb 1.1.16 Python package to evaluate the atomic datasets available for the spectral modeling of [Fe ii] and [Fe iii], which list level energies, A-values, and effective collision strengths. Most datasets are reconstructed from the sources, and new ones are incorporated to be compared with observed and measured benchmarks. For [Fe iii], we arrive at conclusive results that allow us to select the default datasets, while for [Fe ii], the conspicuous temperature dependency on the collisional data becomes a deterrent. This dependency is mainly due to the singularly low critical density of the (Formula presented.) metastable level that strongly depends on both the radiative and collisional data, although the level populating by fluorescence pumping from the stellar continuum cannot be ruled out. A new version of PyNeb (1.1.17) is released containing the evaluated datasets.