VALD: The Meeting Point of Data Producers and Data Users

• Main Authors: Tatiana Ryabchikova, Yury Pakhomov, Nikolai Piskunov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-09-01
• Series: Galaxies
• Subjects: stellar spectra; atomic and molecular data; databases
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2075-4434/6/3/93

Vienna Atomic Line Database (VALD) contains data on atomic and molecular energy levels and parameters of spectral lines required for stellar spectra analysis. Hundreds of millions of lines for fine spectral synthesis and for opacity calculations are collected in the present version of VALD (VALD3). Critical evaluation of the data and the diversity of extraction tools support the high popularity of VALD among users. The data model of VALD3 incorporates obligatory links to the bibliography making our database more attractive as a publishing platform for data producers. The VALD data quality and completeness are constantly improving allowing better reproduction of stellar spectra. To illustrate continuous evolution of the data content we present a comparative analysis of the recent experimental and theoretical atomic data for Fe-group elements, which will be included in the next VALD release. This release will also include a possibility for extracting the line data with full isotopic and hyperfine structures.