| Issue |
A&A
Volume 384, Number 2, MarchIII 2002
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 725 - 735 | |
| Section | Astronomical instrumentation | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20011756 | |
| Published online | 15 March 2002 | |
Monte Carlo transition probabilities
Astrophysics Group, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BW, UK
Corresponding author: l.lucy@ic.ac.uk
Received:
30
April
2001
Accepted:
7
December
2001
Transition probabilities governing the interaction of energy packets and matter are derived that allow Monte Carlo NLTE transfer codes to be constructed without simplifying the treatment of line formation. These probabilities are such that the Monte Carlo calculation asymptotically recovers the local emissivity of a gas in statistical equilibrium. Numerical experiments with one-point statistical equilibrium problems for Fe II and Hydrogen confirm this asymptotic behaviour. In addition, the resulting Monte Carlo emissivities are shown to be far less sensitive to errors in the populations of the emitting levels than are the values obtained with the basic emissivity formula.
Key words: methods: numerical / radiative transfer / stars: atmospheres / line: formation
© ESO, 2002
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