Quantum unified theory applied to Ly, Lyγ and Lyδ electronic Stark broadening

LERMA and UMR 8112 du CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, 92195 Meudon Cedex, France e-mail: amaury.dekertanguy@obspm.fr

Received: 13 October 2004
Accepted: 17 November 2004

Abstract

New quantum calculations for the Lyβ, Lyγ, Lyδ profiles perturbed by electron collisions are obtained from the unified one-perturber theory in the exact resonance approximation (Tran-Minh et al. 1975, J. Phys. B: Atom. Molec. Phys., 8, 1810; Feautrier et al. [CITE], J. Phys. B: Atom. Molec. Phys., 9, 1871). This accounts for the-long range dipole interaction. The profiles are obtained by summing the partial contributions of each total angular momentum L^T. It appears that there is a threshold below which some eigenchannels become complex and are not well described by the exact resonance method. To overcome this problem, the contribution of the first angular momenta is estimated by taking into account the real eigenvalues and by neglecting the complex ones. Estimation of the error due to this systematic underestimation of the profile is given. Density effects due to the Debye screening are found in the near wings.