Neutron Star Merger Gold and Platinum Spectroscopy

Neutron star mergers, which can be detected using gravitational waves, are known to produce heavy elements through the r-process. The electromagnetic spectra following the merger(s) are complicated by broadening, wavelength shifts, and an undetermined ionization balance that quickly evolves in time. Interpretation of the observed spectra requires fundamental atomic data for the r-process elements, many of which are lacking or absent entirely from the scientific literature. We present preliminary results of gold and platinum line emission from neon-filled hollow cathode lamp spectra collected with resolving power ~10,000. These spectral line measurements will be used to benchmark two independent calculations of the electronic structure using the GRASP and FAC codes. The GRASP calculations presented here were used to produce bound-bound opacities and LTE emission spectra, the latter of which were used to aid the line identifications. These spectra will be compared to future measurements of platinum and gold within a hybrid tokomak-stellarator plasma device at Auburn University at conditions far from LTE.