3D NLTE modeling of CO line formation in cool stars

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Peter H. Hauschildt
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2011 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 207506428

The formation of CO lines in cool stellar atmospheres (including our Sun) is hard to understand in detail and requires further research. In this project we plan to investigate the effects of inhomogeneous atmospheres on the strength of the CO lines. We thus plan to extend our existing 3D radiative transfer framework to include NLTE line formation of CO molecules. The simulations will be carried out for both parameterized atmospheres and using the structures from hydrodynamical models. The results of our calculation will be compared to available observations. We will gain further significant insight into the physics of CO line formation in such stellar atmospheres and to obtain more information about their structure.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants