Experimental dielectronic recombination rate coefficients for lithium-like ⁴⁰Ca¹⁷⁺

Abstract The rate coefficients for dielectronic recombination (DR) of lithium-like 40Ca17+ ions with ∆n = 0 core excitations are derived from electron–ion recombination spectra measured with merged-beams method at the heavy-ion storage ring CSRm. The experimental DR spectrum, in the electron–ion collision energy range of 0 to 42 eV in the center-of-mass frame, comprises of all DR resonance peaks belong to the 2s 2 S 1/2 → 2p 2 P 1/2, 3/2 core excitations. The resonant energies and strengths for the resolved resonances in 2pjnl series are determined by fitting of the measured DR peaks. The further interpretation of the measured DR rate coefficients has been performed by calculating the DR rate coefficients with relativistic configuration-interaction method implemented in flexible atomic code (FAC) and compared with the experimental results. The experimental results and FAC calculations are found to be in a good agreement within the experimental uncertainties. Moreover, temperature dependent plasma rate coefficients were constructed from 4 × 103 to 1 × 107 K energy region by convoluting experimental and theoretical DR rate coefficients with the Maxwellian energy distribution function and then compared with previously available data. The plasma DR rate coefficient is found to be significantly underestimated by the early theoretical data calculated by Jacobs et al, and Mazotta et al in the low temperature. In contrast, a very good agreement has been found between the theoretical DR data of Gu and Colgan et al and the presently measured results at the low temperature region. Therefore, the results in this work composed of a bench-mark data set for plasma modeling at the photoionized temperature range. We have also provided a fit to our measured and theoretical plasma rate coefficients for low temperature plasma modeling.