Spectral Line Broadening by Plasmas deals with spectral line broadening by plasmas and covers topics ranging from quasi-static approximation and impact approximation to intermediate approximations and correlation effects. Experimental results for hydrogen lines, lines with forbidden components, and ionized helium lines are presented. Applications such as density and temperature measurements are also considered.

Comprised of four chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the effects of electric fields from electrons and ions (both acting as point charges) on spectral line shapes. The next chapter surveys theoretical work, paying particular attention to quasi-static, impact, and intermediate approximations as well as correlation effects. Stark broadening experiments are then discussed, with special emphasis on experiments capable of checking the accuracy or validity limits of the various approximations. The final chapter is devoted to applications in laboratory plasma physics and astronomy, focusing on density and temperature measurements and opacity calculations as well as the analysis of stellar atmospheres, amplitudes and spectra of plasma waves, and radio frequency lines.

This book should appeal to students, practitioners, and researchers in pure and applied physics.

Contenu

Preface
Acknowledgments
List of Symbols
Chapter I Introduction
Chapter II Theory
II.1. General Formulation
II.2. Quasi-Static Approximation
II.2a. Field Strength Distribution Function
II.2b. Perturbation Theory
II.2c. Atomic Matrix Elements
II.3. Impact Approximation
II.3a. Hydrogen Lines
II.3b. Hydrogenic Ion Lines
II.3c. Two- and More-Electron Atoms
II.3d. Two-and More-Electron Ions
II.3e. Quantum-Mechanical Calculations of Electron Impact Broadening
II.3f. Corrections for Ion Broadening of Isolated Lines
II.4. Intermediate Approximations
II.4a. The Phase Integral Method
II.4b. Relaxation Theory
II.4c. Dynamical Corrections to the Holtsmark Theory
II.4d. The One-Electron Approximation
II.5. Correlation Effects
II.5a. Debye Shielding
II.5b. Plasma Polarization Shift
II.5c. Plasma Satellites
II.6. Magnetic Field Effects
Chapter III Experiments
III.1. General Considerations
III.2. Hydrogen Lines
III.2a. The Balmer ß Line
III.2b. Other Balmer Lines at High Electron Densities
III.2c. Balmer and Paschen Lines at Low Electron Densities and Temperatures
III.3. Ionized Helium Lines
III.4. Hydrogenic Lines from Heavy Ions
III.5. Lines with Forbidden Components
III.6. Isolated Neutral Atom Lines
III.7. Isolated Lines from Singly Charged Ions
III.8. Isolated Lines from Multiply Charged Ions
III.9. Asymmetries and Shifts of Hydrogen Lines
III.10. Effects of Suprathermal Field Fluctuations
Chapter IV Applications
IV.1. Density Measurements
IV.2. Temperature Measurements
IV.3. Amplitudes and Spectra of Plasma Waves
IV.4. Stellar Atmospheres
IV.4a. Hydrogen and Ionized Helium Lines
IV.4b. Lines with Forbidden Components
IV.4c. Isolated Lines
IV.5. Radio-Frequency Lines
IV.6. Opacity Calculations
Appendix I Stark Profiles for Hydrogen and Ionized Helium Lines
Appendix II Coefficients for the Asymptotic Holtsmark Profiles of Hydrogen Lines
Appendix III Fractional Intensity Widths of Hydrogen and Ionized Helium Lines
Appendix IV Stark Broadening Parameters and Profiles for Isolated Neutral Atom Lines
Appendix V Electron Impact Widths and Shifts of Isolated Lines from Singly Charged Ions
Appendix VI Atomic Parameters for Neutral Helium Lines with Forbidden Components
Appendix VII "Dynamical" Profiles of Forbidden Components
References
Author Index
Subject Index