Accurate VUV Laboratory Measurements of Fe III Transitions for Astrophysical Applications

We report preliminary measurements of Fe III spectra in the 1150 to 2500 A wavelength interval. Spectra have been recorded with an iron-neon Penning discharge lamp (PDL) between 1600 and 2500 A at Imperial College (IC) using high resolution Fourier (FT) transform spectroscopy. These FT spectrometer measurements were extended beyond 1600 A to 1150 A using high-resolution grating spectroscopy at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). These recorded spectra represent the first radiometrically calibrated measurements of a doubly-ionized iron-group element spectrum combining the techniques of vacuum ultraviolet FT and grating spectroscopy. The spectral range of the new laboratory measurements corresponds to recent HST/STIS observations of sharp-lined B stars and of Eta Carinae. The new improved atomic data can be applied to abundance studies and diagnostics of astrophysical plasmas.