Effect of transfer of excitation on resonance broadening

A. S. Agabekyan

J. C. Gay

The cross sections for the excitation transfer between H and D atoms deduced from two previous publications are compared to those given by Kohmoto and Watanabe (1976). They are found to be in good agreement. The evidence for other effects such as the modification of the broadening and shift of the lines which are characteristic of these quasi-resonant processes is also emphasized and discussed.

R. G. Breene

Bandel Bezzerides

A general theory of line broadening is used to study the effects of collisions on absorption line shapes when self-broadening is important. Special attention is focused on the role of processes in which an excited atom transfers its electronic excitation to an unexcited atom; it is this process which distinguishes self-broadening from foreign-gas broadening. Several forms for the absorption rate are presented corresponding to particular assumptions about the amplitudes associated with this phenomenon. For example, one approximation leads to a generalized Lorentz-Lorenz law in which the one-atom polarizability is replaced by one that accounts for line broadening. Finally, the importance of many-body effects in the calculation of the linewidth is briefly discussed to determine when simple impact theories are applicable.

O. K. Rice

O. K. Rice