Chandra X-ray Observatory high-resolution x-ray spectroscopy of stars: Modeling and interpretation

The Chandra X-ray Observatory grating spectrometers allow study of stellar spectra at resolutions on the order of 1000. Prior x-ray observatories' low resolution data have shown that nearly all classes of stars emit x rays. Chandra reveals details of line and continuum contributions to the spectra which can be interpreted through application of plasma models based on atomic databases. For cool stars with hot coronas interpreted in the solar paradigm, assumption of collisional ionization equilibrium allows derivation of temperature distributions and elemental abundances. Densities can be derived from He-like ion's metastable transition lines. Abundance trends are unlike the Sun, as are the very hot temperature distributions. For young stars, there is evidence of accretion driven x-ray emission, rather than magnetically confined plasma emission. For some hot stars, the expected emission mechanism of shocked winds has been challenged; there is now evidence for magnetically confined thermal plasmas. The helium-like line emission in hot stars is susceptible to photoexcitation, which can also be exploited to derive wind structure. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.