Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 August 2015
Recent laboratory work relevant to solar flares on the spectroscopy of highly ionized atoms is reviewed. Much of this work has concerned the X-ray and EUV spectrum of iron ions, Fe XVIII–Fe XXIV, which produce prominent emission lines in the spectra of solar flares. Also discussed are recently obtained laboratory X-ray spectra of emission lines of hydrogen-like and helium-like ions, and associated satellite lines due to transitions of the type, 1s2l—2p2l, 1s22l—1s2p2l, and 1s22l— —1s2l3p. Satellite lines have also been identified in spectra of solar flares, and can be used to determine the electron temperature of the plasma. The laboratory work is important in the planning of future experiments in solar flare X-ray and EUV spectroscopy.