Oxygen forbidden-line temperature diagnostic
ID: oxygen-forbidden-line-temperature-diagnostic
For low-density gas with Maxwellian electrons, the excitation-energy difference between the and levels of doubly ionized oxygen makes temperature sensitive. A constant-collision-strength approximation is . Increasing temperature strengthens the higher-excitation auroral line and lowers . Density, extinction and nonthermal electrons require separate treatment; the pair shares one upper level and is primarily a branching ratio rather than this thermometer.
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