On the Continuous Absorption Coefficient of the Negative Hydrogen Ion. III.

Abstract

In this paper the contribution to the continuous absorption coefficient of the negative hydrogen ion by the free-free transitions is evaluated in terms of the matrix elements of the acceleration in the Hartree field of a hydrogen atom. The new coefficients are larger than the earlier determinations by factors ex- ceeding 10 over the entire range of wave lengths of astrophysical interest. Tables,of the continuous absorption coefficient of H, including both the bound-free and the free-free transitions for various temperatures (2520° ~ T ~ 10,0800) and wave lengths (X > 4000 A) are also provided. It is further shown that the new coefficients are sufficient to account for the solar continuous spectrum from X 4000 A to X 25,000 A