Stuttgart 2012 – scientific programme

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A: Fachverband Atomphysik

A 43: Precision spectroscopy of atoms and ions IV

A 43.4: Talk

Friday, March 16, 2012, 11:15–11:30, V47.03

X-ray laser spectroscopy with trapped highly charged ions at the free-electron laser LCLS — •Sven Bernitt — Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

The emission lines of highly charged iron ions are prominent in the spectra of many astrophysical objects. However, some features, such as the relative intensities of two prominent bright Fe XVII lines around 15Å, are not well reproduced by todays most sophisticated spectral models. This limits the reliability of information that can be extracted from spectra. For this reasons, precise laboratory wavelength and intensity measurements with highly charged ions in the X-ray range are urgently needed. Laser spectroscopy is a remarkably succesful experimental method, but the X-ray regime was not accessible due to the lack of appropriate lasers. In recent years, a new kind of ultrabrilliant light sources, free electron lasers, have become available. Results of a first experiment overlapping x-ray laser pulses with highly charged ions in an electron beam ion trap and directly addressing photonic excitations will be presented. The experiment introduced the techniques of laser spectroscopy into the x-ray spectral range, opening new possibilities, not only for astrophysics, but also for benchmarking general atomic theory.