Unified Classical-Path Treatment of Stark Broadening in Plasmas

Abstract

A theoretical treatment of spectral line broadening in plasmas is developed using classical-path methods. This treatment unifies certain aspects of the familiar impact, one-electron, and relaxation theories to produce results which are valid from the line center to the far line wings where the electrons may behave quasistatically. Calculations of the Lyman-$\ensuremath{\alpha}$ line of hydrogen are used to illustrate the theory.