Accurate new atomic data for Galactic Surveys

Abstract

For the last 20 years, Galactic Surveys have been revolutionizing our vision of the universe and broadening our understanding of the vastness of space that surrounds us. Galactic Surveys such as APOGEE, Gaia-ESO, GALAH, WEAVE and the currently-under-development 4MOST are teaching us a great deal about the chemical composition of stellar atmospheres, the formation and evolution of galaxies and how elements are synthesised in the universe. However, many questions remain unanswered and the current focus of ongoing and future surveys. Answering each of these questions requires the collection of data, normally as spectra, as most of the information we receive from the universe is electromagnetic radiation. Following the very expensive acquisition of astronomical spectra, another crucial task lies ahead: the analysis of these spectra to extract the priceless information they carry. High-quality atomic data of many neutral and ionised species is essential to conduct this analysis.