The CHIANTI atomic database

Abstract

The freely available CHIANTI atomic database was first released in 1996 and has had a huge impact on the analysis and modeling of emissions from astrophysical plasmas. It contains data and software for modeling optically thin atom and positive ion emission from low density (≲10¹³ cm^-3) plasmas from x-ray to infrared wavelengths. A key feature is that the data are assessed and regularly updated, with version 8 released in 2015. Atomic data for modeling the emissivities of 246 ions and neutrals are contained in CHIANTI, together with data for deriving the ionization fractions of all elements up to zinc. The different types of atomic data are summarized here and their formats discussed. Statistics on the impact of CHIANTI to the astrophysical community are given and examples of the diverse range of applications are presented.