On the Dependence of T_{e} upon Quantity Versus Quality of the Radiation Field in a Stellar Atmosphere

Abstract

We derive a simple algebraic expression for T (r) that demonstrates as a function of collisions how and where the control of T shifts from the quantity to the quality of the radiation field in a stellar atmosphere. We obtain explicit formulae for the gray case and show that mechanical heating and nongray processes can be treated algebraically as perturbations. We illustrate the size and effect of these processes by applying them to the Sun in the region tO-2> T5> 1O- .