Level Populations of Hydrogen in Gaseous Nebulae

Abstract

The departures, bn, of the populations of excited levels of hydrogen, from those under conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium, are calculated. Collisions between all levels, n and n′, are allowed for. Solutions are obtained using the matrix condensation technique of Burgess and Summers. Tables of bn and |$\text{log}_{10}\,(d\,1n\,{b}_{n}/{d}_{n}$| are given for |$n\,\leqslant\,300$| and for a wide range of electron temperatures and densities. The results differ considerably from those obtained allowing only for collisional transitions in which the change in principal quantum number is small.