Effects of plasma microfields on radiative transitions from atomic levels above the ionization threshold

Abstract

The effects of plasma electric microfields on line-like optical features arising from atomic levels above the ionization threshold are investigated within the framework of the quasi-static and single-frequency dynamic-field theories of spectral-line broadening. The 2p(23)P to 1s2p(3)P and 2s2p(3)P to 1s2s(3)S transitions in helium and helium-like ions are treated as examples. The mixing of the doubly excited levels in the perturbing microfields produces Stark broadening of the emission lines and induces autoionization of the 2p(23)P level, which, unlike the 2s2p(3)P level, is metastable against autoionization in the field-free environment. Determination of the complete Stark-broadening profiles in thermal plasmas is complicated by the need to include the effects of both the (quasi-static) ion and the (dynamic) electron fields. Under nonequilibrium conditions, where electric fields from either electron or ion plasma waves can far exceed nearby particle fields, the calculation and interpretation of the line shapes may be simplified and could provide a diagnostic probe of the wave-field properties.