Experimental and theoretical investigations of the Stark width and shift of the He I 388.865 nm spectral line

Abstract

We report the results of comprehensive (both experimental and theoretical) studies of Stark broadening parameters (width and shift) of the He I 388.865 nm (2s 3S – 3p 3Po) spectral line. Measurements have been performed using the wall-stabilized arc operated in a helium gas with small admixture of hydrogen and nitrogen at atmospheric pressure. The radiation of the plasma emitted in an end-on direction was measured with the use of a grating spectrometer equipped with a CCD detector. We compare the above experimental results with those of computer simulations (CSM) as well as with theoretical ones based on the modified Griem perturbation theory. The comparison of the above results with those from the literature shows that they provide reliable data for helium plasmas with low electron densities not exceeding 1·1022 m−3.