2020ApJS..248...13G

A majority of Er in the universe is synthesized by the r-process, which can occur in the mergers of neutron stars (NSs). The contribution of this element to the opacity of NS ejecta should be tested, but even the energy levels of first excited configuration have not been fully presented. The main aim of this paper is to present accurate energy levels of the ground [Xe]4f¹² and first excited [Xe]4f¹¹5d configurations of Er²⁺. The energy level structure of the Er²⁺ ion was computed using the multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock and relativistic configuration interaction (RCI) methods, as implemented in the GRASP2018 program package. The Breit interaction, self-energy, and vacuum polarization corrections were included in the RCI computations. The zero-first-order approach was used in the computations. Energy levels with the identification in LS coupling for all (399) states belonging to the [Xe]4f¹² and [Xe]4f¹¹5d configurations are presented. Electric dipole (E1) transition data between the levels of these two configurations are computed. The accuracy of these data is evaluated by studying the behavior of the transition rates as functions of the gauge parameter, as well as by evaluating the cancellation factors. The core electron correlations were studied using different strategies. The rms deviations obtained in this study for states of the ground and excited configurations from the available experimental data are 649 and 754 cm^–1, respectively.