2000/06/10 by N. F. Allard, John F. Kielkopf, J. Kielkopf +3 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #physics.ao-ph #physics.atom-ph #physics.chem-ph #physics.plasm-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s100530070021
published as European Physical Journal D 12, 263 (2000) · 8 pages, 4 figures, acc.f.publ.European Physical Journal D
arxiv created 2000/06/10 · openalex publication_date 2000/10/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2019/06/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/02
We present a theoretical profile of the Lyman Beta line of atomic hydrogen perturbed by collisions with neutral hydrogen atoms and protons. We use a general unified theory in which the electric dipole moment varies during a collision. A collision-induced satellite appears on Lyman Beta, correlated to the B''\barB 1Sigma+u - X 1Sigma+g asymptotically forbidden transition of H2. As a consequence, the appearance of the line wing between Lyman Alpha and Lyman Beta is shown to be sensitive to the relative abundance of hydrogen ions and neutral atoms, and thereby to provide a temperature diagnostic for stellar atmospheres and laboratory plasmas.