PopRatio: A program to calculate atomic level populations in astrophysical plasmas

Abstract

We describe a Fortran 90 program to calculate population ratios of atomic levels. The program solves the equations of statistical equilibrium considering all possible bound-bound processes: spontaneous, collisional or radiation induced (the later either directly or by fluorescence). There is no limit on the number of levels or in the number of processes that may be taken into account. The program may find a wide range of applicability in astronomical problems, such as interpreting fine-structure absorption lines or collisionally excited emission lines (such as coronal emission lines) in the spectra of several objects, and also in calculating the cooling rates due to collisional excitation.