Can heavy ion storage rings contribute to our understanding of the charge state distributions in cosmic atomic plasmas?

Interpreting cosmic spectra from ionized atomic gas hinges on our understanding the underlying physical processes which produce the observed spectra. Of particular importance are electron-ion recombination and electron impact ionization. These processes control the charge state distribution (CSD) of the gas. The CSD is intimately tied in to the observed spectral features and can also affect the thermal structure of the plasma. Heavy ion storage rings play a crucial role in improving our knowledge of electron-ion recombination and electron impact ionization, thereby deepening our understanding of the cosmos. Here we will review some of the astrophysical motivation behind laboratory astrophysics research with atomic ions at heavy ion storage rings. We also present some recent results, discuss some of the astrophysical implications, and present future astrophysical needs.