Fe L-Shell Density Diagnostics in Theory and Practice

We provide a discussion of the density and photoexcitation sensitivity of the X-ray spectra of Fe L-shell ions (Fe XVII–Fe XXIV) calculated with the Livermore X-ray Spectral Synthesizer, a suite of IDL codes that calculates spectral models of highly charged ions based primarily on HULLAC atomic data. These models are applicable to collisionally ionized laboratory or cosmic plasmas with electron temperatures Te ≈ 2–45 MK (0.2–4 keV) and electron densities ne ∼ 10 11 cm−3. Potentially useful density diagnostics are identified for Fe XVII and Fe XIX–Fe XXIII, with the most straightforward being the Fe XVII I(17.10 Å)/I(17.05 Å) line ratio and the Fe XXII I(11.92 Å)/I(11.77 Å) line ratio. Applying these models to the Chandra X-ray Observatory High Energy Transmission Grating spectrum of the intermediate polar EX Hya, we find that the strength of all the Fe L-shell lines are consistent with electron densities ne ∼ 1×10 14 cm−3. Specifically, from the observed Fe XVII I(17.10 Å)/I(17.05 Å) line ratio, we infer an electron density ne ∼ 2×10 14 cm−3 at the 3σ level, while from the observed Fe XXII I(11.92 Å)/I(11.77 Å) line ratio, we infer ne = 1.0+2.0 −0.5×10 14 cm−3 at the 1σ level and ne ∼ 2×1013 cm−3 at the 3σ level.