Spectroscopy of heliumlike argon resonance and satellite lines for plasma temperature diagnostics

The n=2-1 spectral emission pattern of heliumlike argon, together with the associated satellite emission originating from lithiumlike argon have been measured with high-resolution x-ray spectroscopy at the Berlin electron-beam ion trap. The observed line intensity across a wide range of excitation energies was weighted by an electron-energy distribution to analyze as a function of plasma temperature the line ratios between KLL dielectronic recombination satellites, in particular the j+z, j, and k satellites, and the w-resonance line. A good agreement between various theoretical models is found, supporting the method of line-ratio measurement as a temperature diagnostic for plasmas. A value for the so-called R-line ratio is determined and calculations with the HULLAC suite of codes predict it to be electron density independent over a wide range.