A collision-induced satellite in the Lyman β profile due to H-H collisions. Lyman β satellites

We present a theoretical profile of the Lyman β 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 β, correlated to the B'' anti B1Σ+u-X1Σ+g asymptotically forbidden transition of H2. As a consequence, the appearance of the line wing between Lyman α and Lyman β 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. (orig.)