1. Collisional effects in the blue wing of the Balmer-alpha line
- Author
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S. Bourdreux, John F. Kielkopf, N. F. Allard, Fernand Spiegelman, Galaxies, Etoiles, Physique, Instrumentation (GEPI), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (IAP), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de Chimie et Physique Quantiques (LCPQ), Institut de Recherche sur les Systèmes Atomiques et Moléculaires Complexes (IRSAMC), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Toulouse (INSA Toulouse), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Toulouse (INSA Toulouse), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC), University of Louisville, Laboratoire de Chimie et Physique Quantiques Laboratoire (LCPQ), Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Fédération de recherche « Matière et interactions » (FeRMI), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Toulouse (INSA Toulouse), and Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
FOS: Physical sciences ,Alpha (ethology) ,Astrophysics ,Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics ,01 natural sciences ,spectrum ,symbols.namesake ,star ,0103 physical sciences ,Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics ,010306 general physics ,white dwarf ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR) ,Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics ,Line (formation) ,Physics ,Wing ,[SDU.ASTR.SR]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Solar and Stellar Astrophysics [astro-ph.SR] ,Balmer series ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics ,13. Climate action ,Space and Planetary Science ,symbols ,spectral line - Abstract
In order to investigate the near wing of the Lyman-alpha line, accurate line profile calculations and molecular data are both required due to the existence of a close line satellite responsible for its asymmetrical shape. Lyman-alpha lines observed with the Cosmic Origin Spectograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST) show this peculiarity in the spectra of DBA and DA white dwarf stars. A similar asymmetrical shape in the blue wing can be predicted in the Balmer-alpha line of H perturbed by He and H atoms. In continuation with a very recent work on the Lyman-alpha line, where the n=2 potential energies and transition dipole moments from the ground state were determined, we present new accurate H-He potential energies and electronic transition dipole moments involving the molecular states correlated with H(n=3)+He and their transition dipole moments with the states correlated with H(n=2)+He. Those new data and existing molecular data for H(n=2,3)-H are used to provide a theoretical investigation of the collisional effects in the blue wing of the Balmer-alpha line of H perturbed by He and H atoms. We note the consequences for the Balmer-alpha line shape in the physical conditions found in the cool atmosphere of DZA white dwarfs where helium densities may be as high as 10^21 cm-3. This study is undertaken with a unified theory of spectral line broadening valid at very high helium densities., 9 pages, 12 figures
- Published
- 2021