HULLAC, an integrated computer package for atomic processes in plasmas

We describe HULLAC, an integrated code for calculating atomic structure and cross sections for collisional and radiative atomic processes. This code evolved and has been used over the years, but so far, there was no coherent, comprehensive, and in-depth presentation of it. It is based on relativistic quantum mechanical calculations including configuration interaction. The collisional cross sections are calculated in the distorted wave approximation. The theory and code are presented, emphasizing the various novel methods that has been developed to obtain accurate results very efficiently. In particular we describe the parametric potential method used for both bound and free orbitals, the factorization-interpolation method applied in the derivation of collisional rates, the phase amplitude approach for calculating the continuum orbitals and the N-JGRAF graphical method used in the calculation of the angular momentum part of the matrix elements. Special effort has been made to insure the simplicity of use, which is demonstrated in an example. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.